The Warrior March 2014 Issue

Warrior Sherwood High School 300 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

the

36th Year, Issue No.4

March 7, 2014

Inside: News: 1-3, Rock ‘n’ Roll: 4-5, Features: 6-8, Humor: 9, Spotlight: 10-11, Opinions: 12-15,Wondering Warrior: 16, Entertainment: 17-18, Sports: 19-20

Rock ‘n’ Roll Train Stops at Erztman Station

pg. 4-5

Grade Inflation Trend Persists in High Schools pon di cocky

by Steffani Carerra ‘14

High school grades, particularly GPAs, have long been an important aspect of the college admissions process; however, as a steady trend of increasingly higher grades among students continues, speculation rises as to whether these grades are truly an accurate indication of a student’s knowledge.

Grade inflation, or receiving higher grades for work that has remained at a constant level of rigor, is an increasingly significant problem in high schools nationwide. While many teachers agree that this trend occurs at Sherwood, there are various explanations as to the cause of the problem.

“Homework completion is, by default, grade inflation,” commented social studies teacher Beth Shevitz. “Giving students points for simply completing an assignment is automatically boosting their grades.” According to MCPS policy, 10 percent of a student’s overall grade must come from completion assignments where students are awarded points based not on achievement or comprehension of a concept, but on whether they completed the homework assignment.

Social studies resource teacher Christine McKeldin agrees that

completion assignments are an easy way to raise a grade that is not necessarily justified. “I don’t like giving grades for completion because I often feel that when I do, I am rewarding students for what they’re supposed to be doing,” said McKeldin.

Another possible explanation for higher grades is an unintentional lack of awareness in regard to assignments’ point values. “Teachers may not be applying point values that correlate with purpose. For

see GRADE, pg. 3

illustration by Mandy Stussman ‘14

News Reports on Heroin Raise Concern About Use Among Teens

by Michael Crooks ‘14 On February 2, Oscar-winning actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment with a needle in his left arm. The 46-year-old died of a heroin overdose. Seven months earlier, “Glee” actor Cory Monteith died due to a combined drug intoxication of heroin and alcohol. Cases such as these have led many people to associate heroin abuse with celebrities. However, the media is increasingly reporting that heroin is also a problem among young people in local areas.

In Virginia, 16-year-old McLean High School student Emylee Lonczak died on August 21 after taking heroin for the first time

in a car with a couple of friends.

Her friends carried her body to one of their homes and eventually dragged it outside near some shrubs where police found it two days later. A few months later, 20-year-old Kyle Alifom pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence, admitting that he tried to hide Lonczak’s body.

Over the past couple of months, news has come out suggesting teenagers are using heroin in Montgomery County, specifically in Damascus. Route 27, an interstate that runs through Damascus, has been deemed by many as a “heroin highway.”

Robert Hellmuth, director of the MCPS Department of School Safety and Security, notes that heroin in the county has in-

creased, but is confident that it is not an issue in schools.

“I know the police department has spoken of an increase of heroin use in the county and specifically mentioned in the Damascus area. We have not seen any heroin or indications of heroin use in any of our schools,” said Hellmuth. “Our security staff is vigilant of any kind of drug possession or use and the school district has programs in place to help drug users.”

Unfortunately, MCPS no longer has the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, which, according to Doug Steel, supervisor of the Department of School Safety and Security, was “probably the best source of information within the school system to talk about

drug abuse issues [with students and staff].”

Though heroin use and possession at schools may not be an issue, there are reports that it is a problem among high school students. In a News4 story by Darcy Spencer about heroin use in Montgomery County, 22-year-old Damascus graduate Mary Evans said that in her high school experience, heroin “really penetrated every clique from the cheerleaders to the football players and then the goth kids.” Evans added that she felt that heroin use in Montgomery County was at “epic levels.” However, one Damascus student thinks that things have changed for the better since Evans graduated.

“A whole new class has gone

www.thewarrioronline.com

through and graduated and things are not like they used to be ...

As a senior at Damascus High School I can say it’s not perfect but students do not bring drugs to school very often and they are not nearly as popular,” said Nicholas Westervelt in a comment on Spencer’s article.

Others agree fully with Evans’ evaluation of the situation, like Lindsey Mathis, who commented on the article online at the News4 website. “I know so many people in [Montgomery County, Carroll County and Howard County] that use heroin and the terribly sad thing is, kids are going to do whatever it is they want to do whether they are educated about the risk and consequences or not.”

The Warrior•News 2

March 7, 2014

Sherwood Alumna Interns at Olympics

by Michael Natelli ‘14 For many newscasters (spe cifically, sportscasters) around the world, covering the Olym pics is considered the pinnacle of their journalistic career. While she’s not quite there yet, aspiring newscaster and Sherwood gradu ate Abby Isaacs (‘12) did have a gold medal-worthy experience at the 2014 Winter Games interning with NBC. Now a sophomore at Syracuse University, Isaacs is studying as a broadcast/digital journalism and political science

S W E N in brief

Task Force To Address Cybercivility

by Stephen Luckey ‘15

After Superintendent Joshua Starr released an open letter to the public regarding a social media incident, MCPS has embarked on an effort to form a task force in which parents, students and adults will develop strategies to raise awareness of the need for cybercivility in MCPS online communication. With almost 200 volunteers, the group will have arranged gatherings once every month.

The issue of cybercivility was prompted after a bitter cold morning last December when some students took to Twitter and attacked Starr with vulgar and threatening remarks for not canceling school promptly. On December 13, Starr sent out a letter to the community condemning the tweets as offensive and disturbing.

He also stated the need for a community-wide dialogue on how to teach students to be safe and civil online.

The Cybercivility Task Force will guide the creation of tools that encourage conversations on the use of social media and other technologies. “The Cybercivility Task Force will be a critical resource in our ongoing efforts to help our students understand how to use technology and social media appropriately,” said Starr in a MCPS press release. “This work isn’t easy, but it is my hope that we can help school communities and families talk about how to use social media in positive and productive ways.”

Great Art Room Disaster

by Helen Schmitt ‘15

As a result of malfunctions with the heater in the studio art room G135, flooding and steam recently crept in through the classroom, causing inconveniences for many students and teachers alike. Studio art classes were forced to move into empty rooms lent by teachers with no class for the period. A few pieces of art were steamed and crinkled, and posters, teacher visuals, mat boards and furniture had to dry out. Many things were irreparable due to the extreme humidity from the steam.

While the Studio Art 1 class was able to utilize photography teacher Debra Bernhardt’s room F130, with suiting tables and sufficient space, the Studio Art 2 and 3 classes weren’t as lucky. They were loaned music teacher Alex Silverbook’s room E148, which provided less space. Despite the most recent struggle, everything was fixed and returned. Room G135 was provided new tiles and a heater.

“I believe they handled it quite well. Mr. Allrich paid a visit to one of the classes extending his support and recognition that the students are being flexible working under less than adequate conditions,” said art resource teacher Angela Praisner. “Some AP students were a bit upset having to re-work and re-mat their pieces in preparations for the AP Exam in May.”

MCPS Increases BRT Transportation Funding

by Joohyun Kim ‘14

Last month, $15 billion was made available for transportation due to Maryland’s gas tax increase. This 52-percent increase from last year is the highest funding increase the state has received for decades. The transit plan is expected to receive most of the funding.

The project contains funding for eight more car trains on the Red Line, and funding for three of the county’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines along Georgia Avenue, Route 29 and Veirs Mill Road. The purpose of building a BRT line is to integrate bus ways to provide lower costs and time saving transportation.

Both the supporters and opponents of this plan agree that BRT lines won’t solve all of MCPS’ transportation issues, but it will help the county’s 500,000 workers who need better transportation.

dual major.

Every two years, NBC runs an internship program (largely through Syracuse) that allows college students to intern at either the Summer or Winter Games, and after she was accepted into the program, Isaacs found herself in Sochi, Russia as an NBC Olympic guide at the Sochi Winter Olympics. As a guide, Isaacs assisted tourists with getting on and off buses, in and out of hotels and venues, and answering tourists’ questions about events and athletes. “[I met] so many amazing and talented people,” said Isaacs.

The former Warrior newspaper staffer and host of the Sherwood morning show “Warrior WakeUp” said she hopes to host a show like “Good Morning America” in the future, and had a brush with fame when she met with renowned newscaster Matt Lauer.

Isaacs also had the chance to meet several Olympic stars like former figure skater Kristie Yamaguchi, current figure skaters Meryl Davis, Charlie White and Gracie Gold, and Team USA Hockey stars Zach Parise, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Quick.

photo courtesy of Abby Isaacs

Sherwood graduate Abby Isaacs (right) poses with snowboarder Jamie Anderson who won a gold medal in Women’s Slopestyle Event.

Additionally, Isaacs attended the Opening Ceremonies and seven different events. “My favorite parts would [have] to be the Opening Ceremonies, getting a tour of Olympic Park and meeting so many people,” stated Isaacs.

While much was made in the media about questionable hospitality conditions for athletes and reporters, Isaacs wasn’t too inconvenienced. “The only issue was that the water was undrinkable and you had to let the water in the shower run for a few seconds before using it,” Isaacs said.

“I didn’t have any bad experiences as far as housing. I stayed in

the Heliopark in Rosa Khutor, by the mountain cluster. The facilities were great, [and had] good food.”

Now that the Olympics are over, Isaacs will be spending the rest of her semester studying abroad in London, but is making sure to visit sites before classes start in March. “NBC takes a lot of applicants from Syracuse University so [Syracuse] … made a special study abroad program [in London] for us so that we could intern in Sochi and then take classes,” said Isaacs. “Starting March 2, I’m taking four classes.

Until then, I’m traveling around Europe.”

Math Teachers Analyze High Failure Rates

by Ketki Chauhan ‘16 MCPS has begun examining the results of a study that involved 400 math teachers across Montgomery County in regard to the high failure rates on countywide exams for the last five years, according to the Washington Post. The teachers involved in the study shared their opinions and any suggestions they had about the alarming numbers of students failing their math finals.

“The exam should count for more than what it counts now towards the semester grade so that there is more at stake. That would drive the students to work harder and aim well for the exam,” said math resource teacher Sapna Chaudhry, who participated in the study.

Honors Geometry and Algebra 1 teacher Deloris Martin also provided input to the study and identified multiple factors that may have caused the startling failure rates. Martin cited the lack of basic skills, motivation and responsibility of some students, as well as inadequate support outside the classroom and the fact that students may be pushed too

quickly for classes they are not ready for. “There is no one solution or fix to the problem,” concluded Martin.

A common issue that Chaudhry, Martin and fellow math teacher Randy Thompson have noticed is student apathy.

The MCPS exam grading system is public and known to many students. Therefore, they are able to calculate the final exam grade they need to pass the class ahead of time and consequently base their study time off of that. Reportedly, more than half of 600 students in a survey admitted to studying for an hour or less for their midterm.

“Students who are not in danger of failing the semester [sometimes] think ‘I don’t have to pass the test to pass the class,’” stated Thompson. “You can’t fix apathy.”

Other possibilities for the high failure rates include the curriculum and overall exam preparation. Questions have been raised as to whether or not the exam should be made more about math and less about reading, or whether the exam should be made easier.

“The language used with some of the problems on the final exam has proven to be challenging for students,” said Martin while specifically noting ESOL students. However, Chaudhry said she doesn’t understand how math and reading can be separated.

All three math teachers remained firm that the math exams should not be made easier and agreed that students do have enough time to prepare for exams. “The math department does a great job with offering students various opportunities to prepare for final exams. [However], many students are not taking advantage of those opportunities,” said Martin.

The high percentage of failures first became a major concern in MCPS after the Washington Post and other local newspapers began reporting on the topic last spring. Other subjects largely have escaped such scrutiny.“I don’t think [the problem] is only in math. Look at science, history and English, and compare. Math may be higher than the others, but the failing numbers are up in all subjects,” Thompson said.

The Warrior•News

3

March 7, 2014

MCPS Pilots Innovative Equipment Causes of Grade Inflation

Prompt Serious Discussion

Energy-Efficient Lamps In mid-December of last year, lamps were installed in Business Education teacher Pamela Johnson’s computer classroom by science teacher Jill Coutts and her Green Team to promote energy efficiency at Sherwood. The lamps use 85 percent less electricity than the overhead fluorescent lighting, according to School Energy and Recycling Team (SERT) Facilitator Jim Stufft. SERT programs have helped MCPS save 12 percent over their energy baseline year this past fall quarter, according to Stufft.

SERT first contacted Business Administrator Brenda Hoyle about the energy-efficient lamps in September of 2013. While “the lamps are no different than household lamps,” said Hoyle, the SERT office provides the lamps for free to Sherwood and only asks for the school to purchase the 23-watt CFL light bulbs.

The lamps have received positive reviews from students as they are not as harsh as the ceiling lights. “The lamps are perfect for computer labs because they provided a soft indirect ambient light,” said Stufft.

“I was apprehensive about students ‘playing around’ with them by constantly turning them off and on, but thankfully they don’t touch them at all,” said Johnson. “[The lamps] are not a distraction in the classroom.”

Johnson also stated that there is enough lighting for students to see the board and take notes.

Although Johnson generally likes the lamps and has noticed that the students are calmer than last semester, the only drawback she is experiencing is having to turn each lamp on and off individually every morning and afternoon. Although a tedious process, Johnson says it’s worth it.

Stufft hopes that more schools take advantage of the lamps for energy efficiency.

While the energy-efficient lamps are an optimistic step for SERT

from GRADE, pg. 1

Haley Whitt ‘15

Energy-saving lamps provide ambient lighting in computer lab A109. in conserving energy, they plan to further save energy by looking into cutting-edge technologies like LED lighting.

- Catherine Jou ‘15 Stand-Alone Desks New student desks have been put into the “Little Theatre,” room G-238, this semester to be used as test subjects for a new standard desk around the county. The new desks, called “Zuma” style desks, are more comfortable, durable and aesthetically pleasing than the older desks. The new desks have separate chairs rather than the traditional attached chairs.

“The [new] desks are more agronomical,” said Business Administrator Brenda Hoyle. “Central office is providing a classroom set of the new style Zuma student desks and chairs to each school that currently does not have the new style student desks.”

Student and teacher reactions thus far have been very positive towards the new desks. “I love them, the students love them. In fact, the first day they were in the room, I could not get the students started on their warm-up as they

tested out all the new postures they could maneuver in the spacious desks,” said language resource teacher John Falls.

“I like the new desks because they are larger and I can move them around more,” said sophomore Nolan Naik, a student in Falls’ class. “The fact that the chair is separate from the desk is nice, because it allows me to move around a bit.”

Newer schools, like Paint Branch, have had all their desks replaced with the new Zuma desks, according to Hoyle. She additionally said that MCPS is planning on making Zuma desks the “new standard.” If MCPS central office ultimately decides on making these new Zuma desks standard, all classrooms, except those with tables instead of desks, will have them. Though a time frame for when the replacement will take place has not been announced, it is likely to happen within the next few years.

“My only concern is that they may not fit into a smaller classroom,” said French teacher Amy Gahagen.

- Connor Loughran ‘15

example, a take-home test may have the same point value as a test taken in class, even though they carry different weights,” explained McKeldin.

Others feel the rise in grades can be attributed to the high number of assignments graded per quarter. “There are so many formative grades that in some classes it ends up making each [formative] assignment less significant,” explained English resource teacher Shelley Jackson. “A student is able to receive very poor grades on a couple of formative assignments without it having a significant impact on his or her grade. If we had fewer grades per quarter, I think the overall grade would be a more accurate reflection of the student’s knowledge.”

Despite the different theories about the cause of the inflation, all can agree that this trend exists at Sherwood. Data for the first semester in the core subjects of math and English indicate a higher than expected percentage of students receiving As and Bs. The semester final grade serves as the best representation of overall student performance in a particular class as it encompasses both marking period grades as well as the semester final exam. This year, 18.9 percent of English students received an A for their final semester grade, 43.7 percent received a B, 26.3 percent received a C, 9.3 percent received a D, and 1.8 percent failed the semester.

The grade breakdown for math classes is similar: 19.0 percent of students received an A, 30.2 percent received a B, 31.7 percent received a C, 14.4 percent received a D, and 4.7 percent failed.

The grade distribution toward high grades is just as pronounced in honors and AP classes, where it is common for roughly half of students to receive an A or B for their semester final grade.

In some classes, the percentage

of high grades can approach 75 percent. Of the 314 students who take AP Language and AP Literature, for example, 23.6 percent received an A for the first semester and 51.3 percent received a B. Such a high percentage of As and Bs stands in stark contrast to the method of grading on a curve, in which assigning grades is designed to yield a pre-determined distribution of grades among the students in a class. This method is based on the belief that a grade of C truly represents the “average” for the class. Therefore, approximately 70 percent of the students should get a C, with as few as five percent of students receiving an A in the class.

“The problem is Cs and Bs used to be okay, but now, because we know the way people from the outside will be viewing it … we’re more reluctant to give out Cs … We know what kind of work it is but a college is going to look at it as below average,” said science teacher Mary Baker.

While grade inflation may seem beneficial for students, it actually results in lasting negative consequences. As more students receive higher grades, the grade distribution grows more crowded at the top, leading many school systems, such as MCPS, to refrain from releasing class rank. Withholding this information makes it harder for a college to find meaningful distinctions between applicants, which is detrimental to a student’s chances of getting in.

As grades become less reliable, the emphasis on standardized testing increases as it is a form in which all students are judged by the same criteria. Additionally, any schools without grade inflation are penalizing their students by giving them lower grades in comparison to students at other schools even though the students may be performing at the same level, or an even higher one.

The Warrior thanks its many wonderful patrons: Armstrong Family, Bernstein Family, Bina Family, Brady Family, Carol McCarty, Carr Family, Carrera Family, Gary & Nora Carswell, Cecil Family, Cudd Family, Deal Family, Delauders Family, Deppe Family, Dowrick Family, Dymond Family, Ferris Family, Fields & White Family , Regis & Renate Finn Family, Florian Family, Fricke Family, Gallagher Family, Ganey Family, Giorgio Family, Giron Family, Hall Family, Dick & Vivian Harris Family, Hierholzer Family, Joe & Kathy Hughes Family, Hughes Family, Hurlbut-Blum Family, Jou Family, Justus Family, Kayastha Family, Keilsohn Family, Kendall Family, Kenel Family, Kibler/Mahoney Family, Koehler Family, Kress Family, John & Laura Lee, Betsy & Mark Levy Family, Linkletter Family, Jim & Diane Macrae, Macrae Family, Mangus Family, Masters Family, McCarty Family, Melnick Family, Mezebish Family, Militano Family, Moeller Family, Patrick & Anita Moore, Murphy Family, Michael & Jessica Natelli, Newmark Family, Colleen O’Donnell, Paholski Family, Pletcher/Stinehelfer Family, Plummer Family, Mike & Lynn Ronan Family, Ryezek Family, Saviola Family, Schipper Family, Schwartz Family, Siberry-Reddy Family, Josey & Chris Simpson Family, Sousane Family, Spillman Family, Stussman Family, Sutherland Family, Tom Family, Townsend Family, Van Gelder Family, Wasik Family, Cindy & Mike Weitzner Family, Susan & Tom Wells Family, Whitt Family, Todd & Renate Wilson Family, Winters Family, Witkin Family, Yates Family, John & Christine Young Family, Zhang Family If you are interested in becoming a patron, contact Peter Huck at Peter_J_Huck@mcpsmd.org

The Warrior•Rock ‘n’ Roll 4

March 7, 2014

Young Soloists Earn Chance to Shine

by Ashley Nnabue ‘16

Annie Feinroth ‘15

Music teacher Maddox helps backup vocalists in Rock ‘n’ Roll prepare for opening night of the annual show.

Maddox’s Dedication for Rock ‘n’ Roll Has Begun

by Lucy Hurlbut ‘14 After having worked closely with music teachers Bill Evans and Alex Silverbook during his teaching internship back in 2008, Michael Maddox is thrilled to be back at Sherwood working as a full-time music teacher. While interning, Maddox helped out with the chambers singers, electronic music classes and the jazz classes.

“Mr. Evans and I got along really well while I was student teaching, so it’s been a while hoping to teach here and now I finally am,” said Maddox. Currently, he teaches piano, guitar, women’s choir, jazz choir, AP Music Theory, and sponsors the acapella group that meets every Wednesday during lunch.

With lots of experience gained from teaching different types of music classes at his previous two teaching jobs, Maddox was ready to come back to Sherwood. This also meant he would become a major contributor to Sherwood’s biggest production, Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“I saw the show in 2009 and I saw it last year, so I know how huge and awesome it is, but being a part of it … it’s been interesting to see exactly how it’s all put together and what the scheduling’s like,” Maddox explained.

From the moment rehearsals began back in January to the last dress rehearsal Wednesday, Maddox has been very dedicated to his specific role in bringing the show to the stage. “I’m in charge of vocal backgrounds.

I’ve spent many hours of the last few month[s] transcribing harmonies off of the recordings so that I can teach them to the background vocalists,” he said. Maddox will continue to help with harmonies throughout the two weeks of performances which begin March 7. Maddox has enjoyed working with Evans, Silverbook and all the students in the cast of Rock n’ Roll and it means a lot to him to be a part of such a great show.

So far, this music teaching job has kept Maddox very busy, but having students who really care about music has definitely made it worth all the time and hard work. “Kids at Sherwood are extremely talented. They’re dedicated, polite, friendly and enthusiastic. I love working with them,” he explained.

However, Maddox’s respect and positive attitude towards his students is reciprocal. “He’s incredibly attentive and infinitely patient with his students … has a great sense of humor … laid-back but very educational … down to earth and really connects with his students and cares about them,” said junior Nicole Lado, a student in his women’s choir and guitar class.

Having this strong connection with the music students and music teachers alike will help him carry through what will hopefully be many more years working here at Sherwood. He and Silverbook will continue the long tradition of putting on Rock ‘n’ Roll each year as Evans prepares to retire in the coming years.

Rock ‘n’ Roll is a big deal in the Sherwood community. A really big deal. For six performances over two weekends, audiences will fill the Ertzman Theatre to witness the forty-third year of a Sherwood tradition.

More than 200 students auditioned to score a spot on the cast this year. The long process of creating a show requires strong vocalists for the lead roles. The number of underclassmen ready for the slot as a soloist is very limited and selective.

“I was so shocked [to get a leading singing role] that I started jumping all over the place and people started to look at me, but I did not care. I was so happy that I got a group, especially with two of my best friends,” said sophomore Meredith McDonald.

Along with McDonald, 11 other underclassmen, two of which are boys, were honored with the great opportunity of being a soloist.

Sophomores Sonia Anger and Amelia Agranovich also were both surprised after learning that they were given solo performances in Rock ‘n’ Roll. “I was completely taken by surprise when I found out I did … I couldn’t believe that I got a solo or a group,” said Agranovich.

All three girls participate in outside voice lessons; however, that did not stop them from joining music classes in school as well. “I am currently in show choir … [it] is tons of fun and

Jack Armstrong ‘15

Sophomores Sara Cassereto, Grace Kennedy, and Amelia Agranovich rehearse “I Love You So” in preparation for opening night on March 7, 2014. also pretty chill,” said McDonald. their cool, whether it is in front Show Choir is one of the various of a friend or thousands of peomusic classes taught by Bill Ev- ple. For first-time Rock ‘n’ Roll ans, who is the Rock ‘n’ Roll di- soloists such as Agranovich, this rector. is her first big production, but she It is one thing to be a part of has participated in other singing such a wonderful, exciting pro- shows as a child. “It’s always duction, but there is also a lot the first time that’s the worst. My competition, Anger remarked. mind goes blank except for the During auditions, everyone is on words of the song. But after that, his or her own and the pressure to I’m not really scared anymore,” do well can be intense. Once the said Agranovich. roles are cast, performers must This is not Anger’s first prolearn their songs. This is when the duction; she participated in Rock newbies must first prove them- ‘n’ Roll last year as well as in selves to the other students par- school musicals. Even with exticipating in the show, especially perience, “I am terrified to go on those who were eager to obtain a stage. I always worry about messlead role. However, everyone is ing up, doing badly, and disapvery supportive of all performers pointing everyone,” she admitted. in order to boost their confidence Whether an underclassmen when singing in front of others. or a senior, each performer solo “I definitely do get stage ing in Rock ‘n’ Roll must overfright; it is actually a little em- come the pressure and nerves barrassing … my hand [starts] to of singing in front of thousands. shake uncontrollably,” said Mc- The first-time soloists are eagerly Donald. determined to break out of their All singers struggle to keep shell and expose their musical talent.

Audio Upgrade Brings Better Sound

by Dean Emerson ‘14

For the past 43 years, thousands of people wait in anticipation for Sherwood’s annual Rock ‘n’ Roll. While singers, dancers and band members often dominate the spotlight, none of the music would be possible without a quality sound system. This year, the school’s music department spent more than $80,000 updating the system, including a brand new power system, front house speakers, stage monitors and subwoofers.

“The new speakers are positioned in a more logical way. The sound will be more consistent throughout the Ertzman,” said Paul Betances, an audio engineer for the show. “As a result, a higher percentage of seats will get a clearer sound.” The new speakers are arranged in a vertical line array, a speaker-stacking technique that allows for sound to travel evenly throughout the theater.

In addition to an updated sound system, Sherwood installed brand new electronics for system management processing. The system now can be controlled by a computer and will be able to process effects such as reverb and delay more efficiently. “We’re all extremely excited to see the new sound system in action,” said Betances.

Audio Engineering Terms (for Dummies): echoes Delay- similar to reverb, except o know occur in distinct repetitions (als as echo).

Front House Speakers- loud speakers placed in the front of the stage and perform ers used to amplify sound to the audienc e. ced on stage to Stage monitors- speakers pla wing them to amplify sound to performers, allo als. hear other instruments and voc

Subwoofers- a type of speaker used to reproduce low frequency sound, giving more strength to the bass frequencies. stacking techVertical Line Array- a speaker throughout an nique used to project audio akers pointaudience by stacking several spe that sound ed at different angles to ensure travels in all directions.

Reverb- an effect placed on an audio track that creates an random ech o-like effect, slowly decaying over time.

The Warrior•Rock ‘n’ Roll March 7, 2014

5

Rock ‘n’ Roll Train Set a Rollin’, All Aboard

by Marie Moeller ‘15

One of the most pivotal aspects of any stage production is the set. With the ability to articulate a mood and atmosphere that engages the audience as well as portrays the show as a whole, Courtney Miller Bellairs, the set designer and painting crew director, faced the challenge of making a creative and thoughtful set that revealed this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll theme: Friendship Train.

Bellairs, who is a 1987 Sherwood student and former Rock ‘n’ Roll dancer and vocalist, combined her skills as an architect and artist in her second year of designing Rock ‘n’ Roll sets. Bellairs sought to adapt the song, “Friendship Train” by Gladys Night and the Pips, the basis of the theme, into a visual representation through its lyrics.

“The song is about peace, justice, love, getting along. How do you draw that?” Bellairs asked herself in the early stages of generating ideas for the set. For the answer, Bellairs consulted a vintage book of 70s patterns and designs that inspired most of the artwork seen on stage.

Courtney Miller Bellairs works on the vertical panels (top left) with the help of volunteer Theresa Mezebish (bottom right). The set features crazy wallpaper designs (bottom left) and the Friendship Train (top right).

Much of the infrastructure of the set has remained the same, once again including vertical flats and the same riser layout. However, an innovative design in addition to a couple special features have helped pull the piece together for an entirely new and unique look.

“It is as if you are looking out a big window to see a train just outside,” explained Bellairs.

“The middle of the set is a series of ‘over the top’ 70s living rooms.

You are in the living rooms with your friends hangin’ out or in a night club with this luxurious ‘crazy’ wallpaper and you look

out your window to see the train going by … The designs of the wallpaper mimic a tunnel on the left and indicate that the train is traveling into nature on the right.”

The train, a more abstract version of a retro trolley, rests behind the highest platform where backup vocalists sing. A light

box underneath brings the train to life, presenting the illusion of a train either speeding through the station or merely floating on the platform.

The retro, psychedelic color scheme and patterns featured on the vertical flats extend onto the platforms. Two of the vertical flats stand in front of the curtains which depict 70s-inspired faces in black and white with a bold pop of color, juxtaposing with the rest of the set while still providing an inquisitive piece to draw upon before the curtains open to reveal the “crazy and fun” set.

While there were plans to paint the stage with this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll logo of a colorful peace sign, this was not possible due to time constraints.

“I like giving people something they have to think a little about … They may not understand the ‘big window idea’ but I think they will enjoy the playfulness of the living rooms and color schemes in any case,” shared Bellairs. “The whole thing needs to work together to inspire and to make an environment right for the performers and the music being represented.”

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fashion Through the Ages

Costume selections are a major part of preparations for Rock ‘n’ Roll. Each year, students hand-pick costumes that fit the time period of their songs. Because performers strive to find costumes that look authentic to their songs’ era, it can be a challenge to put together an original outfit for the nearly 50 songs.

“The most significant problem this year is the number of 80s songs in the songlist. We are running out of basic ideas from that era, and we

60s

do not like to repeat looks,” said Costume Director Jeanne Laeng.

Though each year presents its own challenge, the overall process has improved with the help of the internet. “The costumes have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years,” Laeng said, “YouTube has become an invaluable tool as we can actually view exactly what the artist and the style of clothing was during an actual release of the song.”

70s

Bridget

80s

Bridget Cook‘ 14

4

Cook ‘1

Bridget Cook

Danny Santiago ‘16 “Cream Puff War” (1967)

‘14

Meredith McDonald ‘16 “Shoo Rah Shoo Rah” (1974)

Jada Jordan ‘16 “Head Over Heals” (1985)

The Warrior•Features 6

March 7, 2014

Dino Zagami

by Samantha Schwartz ‘14 Even if you do not know Dino personally, you’ve heard of him. How could you not? Senior Dino Zagami is known for his many talents and leadership roles.

He is SGA president, MC at pep rallies and that voice heard over the PA system with a special announcement as 2:10 nears. He is a driving force behind the school yearbook, making a lot of determinations of what memories of the school year will be recorded for posterity. He even finds the energy to run on the track team on top of his many other responsibilities. The Warrior takes a look into a typical day in the life of Zagami.

7:20-10:53: Morning classes

consist of two periods in yearbook, one in AP BC Calculus, and a period of SGA full of planning and prep. “A lot of people think SGA is a super chill class where we do nothing … but most days we are working really hard to make events like pep rallies and Mr. Sherwood happen. There is a lot of work behind the scenes that most people don’t understand,” Zagami explained.

He spends lunch catching up on homework or following up on SGA responsibilities. Many days he finds himself back in the yearbook office. “I, along with [fellow Editors-in-Chief] Melissa Zamora, Colleen O’Neill and Kristen Lauda, take the yearbook from ideas in June to a physical book in May. The amount of

graphic by Jack Armstrong ‘15

Zagami’s extracurriculars include being one of the four editor-in-chiefs of the yearbook (top left), a member of the school bocce ball team (bottom left) as well as the SGA president of the school (right). work that goes into the yearbook is enormous,” said Zagami.

11:36-2:10: Afternoon classes are a continuation of his demanding workload; AP Psychology, AP English Literature, and AP Environmental Science.

2:30-3:30: Now that school is over, the work still isn’t. An hour is now spent coaching the bocce ball team that finished its season with a 2-3 record. “I first got involved in bocce ball when Mrs. McKeldin asked me to help out back in sophomore year … I absolutely fell in love with the corollary program, made some great

friends, and the rest is history,” said Zagami.

3:30-5:00: No rest for the weary; Zagami participates in a strenuous workout running track.

He runs distance and has participated in track his entire high school career.

5:30-7:30: Zagami concludes the day spending two hours at his paid job of tutoring kindergarteners through twelfth graders. “Two days a week I run a program called ‘Drop In’ and another day I do private tutoring in math. ‘Drop In’ is homework help on any subject,” explained Zagami.

8:00-12:00/1:00: This time is spent getting ready for the next day with homework and studying before eventually passing out.

Zagami is a role model for how to squeeze the most out of one’s time in high school “I’m crazy busy,” he said. “I think my only regret in high school is that I wish I could have spent more time with my friends. Hopefully, as a second semester senior I can do more fun and social things as the year winds down. But at the end of the day, I’m really satisfied with the choices I’ve made and love everything that I do.”

The Warrior•Features March 7, 2014

7

Students Bring Smiles to Community Trendy New App Tracks

by Annie Feinroth ‘15 Student Sleeping Patterns The Teen Angel Project (TAP), is a non-profit, charitable program that aims to bring joy to the community through music and dance. Consisting of 50 high school and middle school students, eight of whom attend Sherwood, they have performed more than 2,000 service hours in just one year. The group has performed for organizations such as Make A Wish Foundation and Autism Speaks, in addition to venues such as the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and local hospitals and nursing homes.

TAP has musical directors, publicists, a board of parents and its own website, www.teenangelproject.com. “We do our best [to perform] for people who might not get [to see] performances [of this caliber],” said junior Sophie Mezebish, one of the Angels. In addition to Mezebish, the other Sherwood TAP members include juniors Gianna Bartolini, Will Goniprow, Rachel Hahn, Alex Hanson, Caitlin Romeo and senior Chase Frederick.

Many of the students have been dancing, singing or performing for years and are involved in school plays and Rock’n’Roll.

Recently, a group of singers from TAP was featured on an episode of FOX 5 Morning News. “We could see ourselves on the moni-

by Ankur Kayastha ‘15

Marie Moeller ‘15

(From left) Juniors Rachel Hahn, Alex Hanson, Sophie Mezebish and Gianna Bartolini are all Sherwood students who participate in TAP. tor … it was really cool to [represent the mission],” Hahn said.

The group is the work of Francesca Winch, founder of the organization, who was also featured on the FOX 5 show. Winch visualized kids singing for people who wanted to hear them, but did not have the opportunity. The mix of high school, middle school and one elementary school student collectively bring joy and happiness to everyone they can. “I believe in its mission … to go and perform for people who need to be cheered up,” said Hahn.

The students in TAP get the opportunity to see first-hand what their performances can do for

people who rarely have anything to smile about. “We were able to put smiles on people’s faces that were sick and couldn’t leave and people’s families … were crying … it was nice to make people smile,” said Romeo.

Romeo is excited about TAP’s next event on April 5 at the Olney Theatre. “We are going to be putting on an entire showcase … so other people can go and raise money for Best Buddies,” Romeo said. She explained how they have combined parts from past performances for this big performance in April. From what Romeo said, this performance will be huge.

Teleconference Links Students on Global Scale

by Steffani Carrera ‘14

On February 21, Sherwood hosted its first international teleconference through an organization called Next Generation of Youth (NGY). The aim of the conference was to discuss the increasingly popular subjects of media literacy and cyber safety in the 21st century. Participants included students from Kenya, senator Donna Edwards, Host Producer Lauren Short, NICE Founder Steve Covey and Sherwood students Yuna Oh, Sara Zarny, Vinnie Jackson, Hannah Engle, Dino Zagami, Jan Pasternak, Alexa Brenner, Ashleigh Daniels, Katie Murphy, Mary Macrae, Emily Lesho, Michael Sousane and event coordinator Nicolette Zillich.

Zillich organized the teleconference through the Model United Nations Club in an effort to communicate on a global scale about issues that are becoming more and more prevalent in the lives

Steffani Carrera ‘14

Students attend presentation about cyber-safety and security that includes representatives and students from other countries. of this generation. Though there were some slight technical difficulties in the beginning, the event ran smoothly and students were able to ask their own questions to experts in the field.

“It’s really interesting to learn more about cyber security because it’s a big part of our future,”

commented senior Hannah Engle.

“There is information not every students knows, like the different types of security threats and the differences between them.”

Due to the success of this teleconference, club sponsor Nicole Glover hopes to host more of these events in the future.

Get into bed. Sleep, AKA blackout. Wake up. Go to school.

This was my and other high school students’ sleeping routine every night before school. There is no doubt that high schoolers are on a delayed schedule and are completely sleep deprived, but we never knew how much until a new smartphone app hit the stores entitled “Sleep Cycle”.

This new app was introduced to me and others through an AP Psychology class taught by Christine McKeldin. The psych class was immersed in an altered states of consciousness unit, Sleep cycle data includes sleep where sleep was a major factor, quality and a movement graph. and clearly a relevant topic of discussion. Many students added ity in a percentage, the amount of their two cents about the deprived time spent sleeping (or laying in sleeping patterns that most of bed), and more. Not to mention, them suffer from, indicating that the app comes with some pretty they receive three to four hours of nice and soothing alarms that are sleep each night, and they claim more appealing than the dreaded never ‘hitting deep sleep’. McK- default one we all know and hate. eldin concluded by sharing an Genius, right? But is it actuapp that she had recently down- ally practical, and does it actuloaded that ally work? tracked her “The first thing I wake up I say yes to sleep progthree. In to is a sleep chart indicating all ress. the informat “I down- that I get as much sleep as a ics section loaded and sleep-deprived teenager. It’s of the app, checked out it describes the app and not lying.” the stages found it in- ~Junior Ali Waseem of the sleep teresting to such as REM see how my sleep patterns dif- (Rapid-Eye Movement) sleep and fered on a nightly basis ... I always non-REM sleep. According to find it fascinating that we spend many critics, the app is legitimate so much time thinking about and as well. Clearly, the app is not chasing sleeping while knowing 100-percent precise and accurate, little about it,” said McKeldin. but it is a cornerstone to an actual To utilize the app, you must sleep analysis that would occur at place the phone on the corner of sleep centers. It is as close as you the bed completely flat and lev- can get with just a smartphone. el. The app itself analyzes body The app is used by many, and movement and motion through it is improving with every update. the use of the phone’s acceler- Get this; it can supposedly even ometer to determine the stage of measure your heart rate. You do sleep that you are in. The less this as soon as you wake up by movement occurring at a certain placing your finger on your campoint of time within the sleep, era and flash (the flash stays on), the deeper sleep you are in. The and it detects the color changes app’s main purpose is an alarm within your finger to predict your feature, which allows you to set heartbeat. Legitimate? You be the an interval time of waking up. judge. For right now, many stuWithin this interval, the app will dents are buying in. choose the point at which you are “I look forward to going to in your ‘lightest’ form of sleep, so bed, and turning on Sleep Cycle is that you can wake up without the the last thing I do. The first thing grogginess or the crankiness. It I wake up to is a sleep chart indiprovides you with sleep statistics cating that I get as much sleep as including a time graph of the stag- a sleep-deprived teenager. It’s not es of your sleep, your sleep qual- lying,” said junior Ali Waseem.

The Warrior•Features 8

March 7, 2014

Netflix Monopolizes American Television Watching

by Ryan Deal ‘16 The future of how people watch television as we know it is quickly approaching an impasse.

Broadcast television and its original programming has been a mainstay in the common American household for decades, but an opponent is coming which could rattle programming for the future.

Netflix, a revolutionary website which streams around 2,000 different TV series, along with nearly 10,000 movies, has taken the television-watching world by the lack of commercials and the storm since its streaming service’s short length of time it takes to emergence in 2011. watch the next episode.

The number of Netflix sub- “Part of what makes Netflix scribers has grown considerably so enjoyable is the short times bein the past three years. Audiences tween episodes,” said senior Sara used to have to wait every week for Zarny. their new favorite show to come This feature results in impreson. Now, with a simple click of the sive spurts of binge-watching in a mouse or tap of an iPad, an entire short period of time. “I have seen series can be watched in a matter an entire season of ‘24’ in just over of days. This constant watching of a day,” said sophomore Tyler Bera show in a short period of time is nstein. commonly called “binge-watch- Why should network TV ing.” be afraid of this binge-watching The number of binge-watch- trend? Well, for starters, Netflix ers is expanding at a rapid rate costs only $8 a month, a reasonand Netflix is the primary source ably low price considering the of it. The Instant Queue on Netflix popularity of the product. Secis home to a vast array of shows. ondly, Netflix has been skyrockThe most attractive part for view- eting in value over the past year. ers, however, is the viewing expe- Stock share prices have grown rience. Viewers are attracted to more than 300 percent from the

cartoon by Allie Pino ‘15 beginning to the end of last year, permitting the company to rapidly expand. Netflix has successfully made a splash as a content provider with original programming like “Arrested Development”, “House of Cards”, and “Orange is the New Black”, all of which drew critical acclaim. Netflix has several new original shows in the making as well, including one commercializing on the extremely popular Marvel superheroes.

In a February 3 New Yorker article entitled “Outside the Box: Netflix and the Future of Television,” Marc Andreessen, co-inventor of Mosaic, the first commercial internet browser, claims that “TV in 10 years is going to be one hundred percent streamed.”

This is a scary thought for TV executives everywhere who real-

ize traditional TV and cable must break tradition and change quickly to continue to cater to what the audience craves.

“Cable TV should play two episodes in a row or just have the show air more than once a week more often,” said sophomore Kendall Kahn. Ideas like these have been bounced around by networks, but ultimately the revenue from advertisements outweigh the revenue coming in from binge-watchers. But as the number of avid binge-watchers of streamed shows grow, TV may alter its schedule to suit the needs of its audience.

Cable networks can allow Netflix to stream their shows so that audiences can be created for these shows. For example, the fifth season of “Breaking Bad,” the

hit AMC drama with a massive following, drew more than double the audience than the previous season did. While “Breaking Bad” can symbolize the positives of network and cable cooperation with Netflix, these companies must keep a keen eye on the doings of this and the numerous other internet streaming services.

This era of television shows is often referred to by experts as the “Golden Age”. With such intriguing and original options for viewers to choose, it is becoming the norm to feast on them one after another at their convienience.

Netflix is catering to these people, and that is the main reason why it is thriving. It will be interesting to see what cable TV will do to fire back, but regardless, the viewer is bound to be happy.

The Warrior•Humor

9

March 7, 2014

Techniques for Catching the Student’s Appearance Allusive Lucky Leprechaun Deemed a Disruption

used to correct Lancaster’s jaw

by Chase Wilson ‘17 while the UV light causes a chem Sophomore Will Lancast- ical reaction in the gums. The two

by Cal Wilson ‘14

Everyone knows that St. Patrick’s Day is a leprechaun’s favorite time of year. It’s their time to run around, throw four leaf-clover seeds and pinch people who are not wearing green.

Playful and fun as they are, they refuse to let anyone get close to them. Don’t let that deter you from trying; there still are a few ways to catch a leprechaun.

Leprechauns will not just let you walk right up and talk to them. The best way to get them is to lure them into a wellplanned leprechaun trap, but first, one must learn the pleasures and hatreds of leprechauns.

Start with a common-known fact: leprechauns love green.

Leprechauns cannot fight their urge to look at anything colored green. However, one fact many are unaware of is that leprechauns hate orange. They despise the fruit, color, and juice-with or without pulp. In fact, leprechaun’s hate orange so much that in their society oranges are outlawed as the fruit of the devil. When planning a leprechaun trap, color it green and make sure there is no orange around.

The organization Finding Leprechauns for Orphaned People (FLOP) discovered last Tuesday in ground-breaking research that Leprechauns love Irish rock and roll. Specifically, they love Dropkick Murphys. Something about the dirty, gritty vocals and fast paced fiddles reminds them of their home country. Leaving out a large pint of ale with Dropkick Murphys’ heavy accordion bass music in the background will surely attract all the local leprechauns.

It is said that female leprechauns do not exist, but they are just the most elusive of all.

Because they are left alone at home while their male companions go out and cause mischief, lonely leprechaun girls are often left feeling unsatisfied. Buying a box of Lucky Charms and cutting Lucky the Leprechaun out for use as a lure is very effective because leprechaunettes find the Lucky Charms Leprechaun to be very attractive (just make sure

er was suspended recently for disrupting class constantly. In Lancaster’s fourth period, teacher Nancy Plywood told him repeatedly to “stop his face from being so annoying.” After the third warning, she sent him to the principal’s office where he continued, in an anonymous administrator’s words, ‘to be ugly.’

The Lancaster family, and more specifically attorney Douglas Lancaster, tried to sue orthodontist Phillip Zagoni after Zagoni installed a new experimental apparatus on Lancaster’s teeth.

The contraption is designed to improve the structure of the upper and lower front teeth by constant movement and UV light.

Unlike the traditional practice of a bar connected to the teeth through brackets glued to the front of each tooth, the new device includes a special type of silly band.

The bands hold one micro-UV light and two motors that spin counter-weights. The bands are

motor’s constant motion supposedly decreases the time which is needed to correct one’s teeth.

Zagoni has a patent pending on the so-called “Thooth” apparatus.

“The new system is supposed to closely resemble the traditional braces,” said Susan Lancaster. “That’s what Dr. Zagoni told me at the first consultation.” Zagoni vaguely described the design and failed to mention the bands, lights or motors. The case is supposed to go to trial April 13. The Lancaster family is suing for $2,000 for emotional pain and suffering and are requesting a more attractive version installed at no cost to them.

“Lancaster is extremely beautiful on the inside, that’s all that matters, but for-real he was ugly,” said senior Jacky Horian.

Lancaster’s removal from classes is to continue until a more attractive version of the device is invented. Until then, Lancaster will be home-schooled.

The Struggle of Finding Love

by Michael Crooks ‘14

jaggedsmile.wordpress.com

No leprechaun has been photograohed, but shown above is one of the few sketches by someone lucky enough to have seen one. to throw out the Lucky Charms cereal because leprechauns find it too commercialized and insulting).

Another way to attract the green gremlins is to lure them into a trap which they despise.

Leprechauns have a true rivalry against the Easter Bunny (something to do with him crushing a four-leaf clover with one of his Easter eggs back in the 60s).

Leaving a brightly colored egg or two out for the local leprechaun to smash is a great way to catch him in a rage. To further antagonize him, leaving a few marshmallow Peeps around the Easter eggs is a sure bait.

But lastly, if you do not want to go through all this trouble of studying leprechauns, you can always just do the old “follow the rainbow to a leprechaun’s pot of gold.” This is easier than making the leprechaun come to you, but once you get to the pot of gold it is pretty rare to catch the leprechaun. They tend to enjoy hiding and surprising the lonely adventurer before running off with the gold. Those that successfully capture leprechauns usually experience a short period of luck before the leprechaun manages to escape, usually leaving the captor with a series of bite marks in sensitive places.

Lately, users of Internet dating sites, like E-Harmony, BlackPeopleMeet, and Christian Mingle, have been complaining that the sites are ineffective. They claim that the sites don’t match them with compatible partners because the criteria for creating a profile aren’t narrow enough.

Some may say that these people should go out and try to form a relationship on their own, but that’s much too time-consuming.

Some users of Internet dating sites turned their disappointment into actions.

One user of Internet dating sites got so fed up with not being to find love that he decided to create his own site. Dexter Pepperdine, a mixed-raced stockbroker from Buffalo created the dating site HalfBlackHalfWhiteStockbrokersfromBuffaloMeet.com.

Pepperdine was optimistic that he would find a beautiful female partner that he had a lot in com-

mon with. Pepperdine launched the website on November 15 of last year, but he eventually became disappointed with the results. Only 12 people created profiles on his site over a period of three months, and of those dozen people, five were his male co-workers, and the others were 50 something-year-old white guys looking for a successful woman “with some color in her.”

Mary Watkins, a user of E-Harmony, still believed she could find love online until a traumatic experience led her to determine it could not be done.

Watkins, an attractive 45-year-old from Salt Lake City, thought she found a man she could start a new life with when she came across Wesley Slater’s profile. The two began to flirt on the website and set up a date at a local restaurant.

Watkins walked into the restaurant only to find that the man was actually a 10-year-old kid who made a fake account to see how many people he could mess with.

Forever Alone?

Find your purfect match

CatPeopleMeet.com graphic by Becky Ewing ‘14

New Store, Just Puppies, Opens in Rockville

Far from conventional pets

by Olivia Skofteland ‘14

Just Puppies is a new pet store in Rockville where people can go to buy a new puppy, or just enjoy playing with them in the store. There are a multitude of different breeds that grow to be many different sizes, including everything from a Golden Retriever to a Yorkie.

“I heard about Just Puppies from my co-worker at Pet Smart,” said senior Sam Kirschbaum, who recently visited the store. “As soon as I got there I fell in love with this adorable German Shepherd puppy.”

“All the puppies were so cute, it was hard to choose which one to play with,” said junior Elaina Pirrone who also went to Just Puppies a few weeks ago. “I think it’s my new favorite place. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to a store where they can just hang out with puppies all day?”

According to their website, the store started in 1997 as a family business owned by Tyler Thomson in Orlando. His goal was to open a few small, honest and open-minded pet stores that would sell quality puppies to people looking to add a fluffy new member to their families. The shop was such a success that Thomson opened two more stores in the Orlando area.

In 1999, Tyler’s brother, Mitch Thomson, opened a shop in Laurel, Maryland, realizing the need for a quality pet shop like Just Puppies up here. That store became a big success as well, resulting in the two stores that just opened in Rockville and Towson. The Thomson brothers say that they do not want Just Puppies to become a huge chain store. They like to have a more hands-on approach when it comes to establishing relationships with customers and breeders.

However, there is speculation about where exactly the puppies come from. The main concern comes from the fact that most of the puppies are purchased from Missouri and Iowa, which are the most popular states for puppy mills. Puppy mills are places where monstrous numbers of puppies are bread for profit only. These places don’t care about the quality or health of the puppies, and often mistreat the dogs. A lot of pet stores get their puppies from places like this.

Despite the speculations, Just Puppies assures that they buy all their puppies from USDA and state regulated breeders.

The store says it always makes sure to get quality puppies, and it has a veterinarian present when purchasing the puppies in order to assure the puppies are healthy. In addition, all of the puppies are registered with either America’s Pet Registry or American Canine Association. These registries are used by breeders who intend for their puppies to be family dogs. All of the dogs registered with these associations must be purebred to ensure quality within the breed.

“All the puppies were wagging their tails and licking the cages when I walked by,” said Kirschbaum, “Hopefully [Just Puppies] is telling the truth and their puppies aren’t from puppy mills, because it’s a really fun place.”

by Mandy Stussman ‘14 Usually, upon hearing the word ‘pet,’ one envisions a Cocker Spaniel, a Tabby cat, or maybe a goldfish. Yet for certain animal lovers, the word ‘pet’ conjures up images of animals you’d be more likely to see in an exhibit at the zoo.

Freshman Caden O’Connell has a remarkably unique collection of animals, including a parakeet, two parrots (both of which have Mohawks), eight hermit crabs, a yellow Labrador retriever, and, most distinctly, a Sugar Glider (commonly known as a flying squirrel).

“I started to get so many animals that we moved them all into what is now called the ‘Pet Room,’” said O’Connell. “I have changed the room they live in into a jungle, where they have artificial plants, trees and perches that I have carved for them.”

O’Connell has loved animals from an early age, since adopting his dog ten years ago. He adopted his squirrel, Dobby, a little over two years ago. Dobby is nocturnal, meaning he eats and runs on his wheel at night. He has flaps of furry skin under his arms that he uses to glide.

Though he is overall a great pet, O’Connell notes that it’s not always easy to own a flying squirrel. “[Dobby] has opposable thumbs which he uses frequently to pick the lever opener on his cage to get out,” said O’Connell. “He once made his way up the stairs into my sis- ter's room where he jumped on her bed and not only woke her up, but scared the heck out of her.”

Those in the household are constantly reminded of their pets’ presence. The male parrot, named Zero, loves to talk and learn new tunes. O’Connell’s parakeet, Blue, is free to fly about the house, and the hermit crabs are free to roam the pet room as they please.

Sophomore Sara Casareto, another animal enthusiast, also owns an interesting group of pets, including a Norwegian Forest cat, a Siberian Husky and a Pastel Ball Python, a bold pet choice from the average standpoint.

“The idea of getting a snake was originally a joke, but when my dad began to look into it we decided to actually get one,” said Casareto. “I’ve had her since fourth grade.”

The diet of a python is quite different than the average pet’s. Casareto feeds her snake, Esmerelda, frozen rats, which must be thawed before Esmerelda can eat them. Caring for the 4-and-a-half foot snake also involves taking her out of her cage every day to stretch.

Sophomore Ella Booz took the more conservative route when adopting her pet, though that’s not to say conventional. Booz has had an African pygmy hedgehog for four years.

“She loves the warm. We have a heating pad for her or else she gets really cold and curls up in a ball,” said Booz. “The biggest challenge is probably keeping her warm and keeping her on a healthy diet because she’s really overweight.”

p

t lun

Vo

e vid

5

o ‘1

o

r sP e i it cil a F

e

z a Iz

m

Em by

Op r e

u

t or

s

ie nit

A

Allowance towards Animals

by Samantha Schwartz ‘16

s l a nim . . t u o b a k l a t s ’ Let

The animals have run out of space and need a new home. To accommodate an ever growing stray animal population, Montgomery County has built a new state of the art facility in Derwood to house the

animals and replace an almost 40-year-old aging animal shelter in Rockville. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place March 1.

The new Montgomery animal shelter was built in part, because of the previous lack of adequate space to quarantine sick animals separately from stray animals. The Montgomery County Police Department Animal Services

Division will oversee operations at the Derwood facility, and, according to recent article in the Washington Post, the change in management is viewed as a way to improve practices and services. The new Muncaster Mill Road shelter at 49,160 square feet will be three times the size of the old building and will not only house animals but also serve as a public adoption center and community education resource for animal-care issues.

The new facility will provide increasing opportunities for teens to volunteer. “Students who volunteer at the new animal shelter will get student service learning hours. They will have to generally work for eight hours for six months, but for students the schedule is more flexible,” said Taleah Parker, the Volunteer Coordinator.

Teenagers between 13-17 will be able to help out in groups. A teenager under 18 will need a written permission slip from parents and will have to be supervised. Minors won’t handle animals.

“Younger groups will have limitations on what they can do to help out. But there are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer including some enrichment with the animals like chew toys, and for cats a sock-full of catnip, to help relieve the stress of the animals to make them feel more at home until they are adopted,” explained Community Outreach Coordinator Katherine Venzono.

Animals accepted at the new facility range from house pets to reptiles, and even exotic animals. The animal shelter will respond to any call. “We have a barn that we are quite proud of,” said Venzono.

According to the website of the Montgomery County Division of Building Design and Construction, “Environmental design features of the facility include use of a vegetated roof over the adoption areas, water efficient plumbing fixtures, energy efficient building envelope and HVAC design, and use of recycled and locally manufactured materials.”

.

Wagging Tails Thrift Store in Rockville began in 2000 with one goal in mind: to help and support animals in Montgomery County. Wagging Tails employs a staff of volunteers and paid workers, who accept donations of “gently used” durable goods like furniture and other household goods and resell them at reasonable prices to the community. All proceeds minus overhead and staff costs go to benefit the Montgomery County Humane Society, a 501 © (3) non-profit organization. Such organizations are tax-exempt by the federal government because they work for the common good, and this designation allows all donations of goods to be tax-deductible. The funds raised through sales at Wagging Tails can be used by MCHS for any purpose because they are considered undedicated revenue.

SeaWorld Controversy Grows Months After ‘Blackfish’ Release

by Julia Gajewski-Nemes ‘15

“Blackfish” is a controversial documentary that was broadcasted in October on CNN. Since then, the film has reignited debate over animal captivity and the morality of SeaWorld’s treatment of orcas.

“Blackfish” focuses on the story of Tilikum, a performing orca at SeaWorld that killed several trainers while in captivity. The documentary is mostly composed of interviews with former SeaWorld trainers and footage of killer whale interactions to explore the ways in which SeaWorld’s mistreatment of the whales may negatively impact their well-being and cause their aggression in captivity.

Immediately following the summer release of “Blackfish” in theaters, SeaWorld described the documentary as “shamefully dishonest, deliberately misleading and scientifically inaccurate.” The company then seemingly fell silent in hopes that the controversy would fade. However, as popularity of the film grew, SeaWorld could not avoid acknowledging the response it provoked.

Responding to online petitions from fans, several entertainers scheduled to perform at SeaWorld theme parks, including the Barenaked Ladies, Willie Nelson and the Beach Boys, canceled their shows. Southwest Airlines, a longtime partner of SeaWorld, also responded to online customer petitions. Although they decided to continue the partnership, representatives of the airline stated that they are “engaged with SeaWorld related to the recent concerns being raised.”

Protests against SeaWorld have taken place at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November and the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day, where 19 people were arrested.

The company has purchased full-page ads in newspapers to refute the claims made by the film, promoted ads on Twitter and created a webpage dedicated to demonstrating that the information presented in “Blackfish” is false. Beginning in early February, SeaWorld began individually tweeting users who mentioned the documentary, directing them to the new webpage.

In addition, it is believed that SeaWorld employees intentionally skewed the results of a poll posted by Orlando Business Journal that asked, “Has CNN’s “Blackfish” documentary changed your perception of SeaWorld?” The poll reported that over 90 percent of the respondents said no. Suspicious of the results, they looked into it and found that over half of the votes came from a SeaWorld IP address.

The directors of “Blackfish” have repeatedly invited SeaWorld to debate issues on animal captivity in a public forum; however, SeaWorld has refused to directly engage with the film in any public way.

The Warrior•Opinions 12

March 7, 2014

Staff Editorial:

In Our Opinion

For Kids To Make Money, Parents Must Spend It onsibility to pay Is it parents’ resp college tuition? for their child’s

n which parents ca to t n te ex n a e Is ther child? cial support to a n a n fi ch u m o to give

In the past 30 years, the average cost of college tuition at a four-year public school has increased 1,120 percent. Today, the average tuition per year (not including room and board) for an out of state public college is $22,203, and $8,893 for in-state tuition. With these high expenses, it’s no surprise about 71 percent of college seniors graduate with an average of $29,400 in debt.

Unlike previous generations, today’s 18-yearolds and their families are struggling to find a balance between who has the responsibility to pay for college tuition. It’s a large burden to bear, but since having a college education is an absolute necessity in the journey to becoming financially independent, students should depend on their parents first.

It is unrealistic to expect a majority of teenagers to get a job that pays well enough to get them through four years of college. Though kids should take some action in paying for their tuition, the primary responsibility rests on the parents. In most cases, parents have larger and steadier incomes than their child, so in order for the child to begin his or her life with a clean start, constantly having huge amounts of student loans racked up would be a disadvantage. Debts accumulated from all college expenses only stunt the young adult’s ability to become financially independent from their parents.

This financial support should also extend after the student successfully graduates from college with an undergraduate degree. The graduate should be granted a “grace period” of living at home for free or little cost in order to adjust to life

outside of college and to find a job that pays well enough that he or she can support themselves. This adjustment period generally should last no longer than a year, considering the weekly salary of a college graduate is double that of someone with only a high school diploma. As for graduate school, since it is a choice and not a prerequisite for most to land a good job, students should acquire more responsibility and pay it through student loans. But to lower the interest rates considerable, the parents should co-sign the loan because that student has proven their seriousness to get into graduate school and has willingness to continue his/her education.

Parents’ responsibility to support their children financially does not include an obligation to pay for luxury items like cars, apartments (that are more costly than dorms), semesters abroad, etc. Since the parents have lifted the load of college tuition, the non-essentials should be paid for by the student.

Occasional help should be permitted to keep kids on their feet, but if it becomes a habit, it’s only enabling reliance on parents.

If one expects parents to financially contribute to their future in such a great amount, the child should take advantage of their sacrifice and put in as much effort in their education to make their parents’ investment worth it. This effort doesn’t just begin in college either; it should be consistent throughout high school. And to ease the financial strain on parents, the students should actively search for financial aid, like scholarships, and work a part-time job in high school and college. It’s impossible to function in the real world if one never learns how to become independent and self-sufficient.

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 55 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

Michael Natelli ‘14 News Editors ......................................................... Steffani Carrera ‘14 Betselot Wondimu ‘15 Rock N’ Roll Editor ................................... Whitney Marie Halaby ‘14 Victoria Florian ‘14 Features Editors ....................................................

Mary Macrae ‘14 Humor Editor .......................................................... Hunter Moore ‘15 Spotlight Editor .................................................. Mandy Stussman ‘14 Opinions Editors ................................................ Emma Hierholzer ‘15 Cal Wilson ‘14

Wondering Warrior Editor............................. Samantha Schwartz ‘16 Kenel ‘14 Entertainment Editors ................................................ Jenni

Katie Mercogliano ‘14

Sports Editors ............................................................. Joey Lavoie ‘14 Kyle Melnick ‘14 Online Online Managing Editor ............................................. Ashley Yen ‘14 Online Content Editor ............................................. Brian Hughes ‘15 Online Page Editors....................................................... Ryan Deal ‘16 Catherine Jou ‘15 Alec Perez ‘14 Will Van Gelder ‘16 Content and Copy Managing Content and Copy Director ....................... Joy Zhang ‘14 Content and Copy Editors ................................... Meagan Barrett ‘15 Michael Crooks ‘14 Tom Lee ‘14 Managing Photo Editors ......................................... Bridget Cook ‘14 Taylor Fernandes ‘14 Photographer ......................................................... Jack Armstrong ‘15 Haley Whitt ‘15 Kelsey Morrison ‘14 Cartoonist ............................................................

Pollster ................................................................ Sammie Spillman ‘16 Morning Announcements Script Editor .................. Stacey Wells ‘15 Business and Publicity Directors ............................ Lucy Hurlbut ‘14 Sean Kang ‘14 Staff Writers Ketki Chauhan ‘16 Leo Corman ‘15 Lauren Cosca ‘15 Madison Dymond ‘16 Dean Emerson ‘14 Becky Ewing ‘14 Julia Gajewski-Nemes ‘15

Emily Gilburt ‘16 Kaleigh Homer ‘15 Emma Izzo ‘15 Ankur Kayastha ‘15 Joolyun Kim ‘14 Connor Loughran ‘15 Stephen Luckey ‘15

Ashley Nnabue ‘16 Allie Pino ‘15 Dalton Sanchez ‘15 Olivia Shoftdand ‘14 Zach Stubblefield ‘15 Chase Wilson ‘17 Kira Yates ‘16

Advisor ................................................................................Peter Huck

cartoon by Helen Schmidt ‘15

The Warrior•Opinions March 7, 2014

13

Is the 50-Percent Rule Really Helping Students?

According to MCPS policy, “Teachers assign a grade no lower than 50 percent to a task or assessment. A teacher may assign a zero if the teacher determines that the student did not attempt to meet the basic requirements of the task/assessment or if the student engaged in academic dishonesty.” This sentence sums up “the 50-percent rule” of Montgomery County Public Schools. A stated intention of this grading policy is to minimize the negative effect that a single graded assignment can have on a student’s overall grade. The Warrior debates whether the 50-percent rule ultimately helps or hurts students.

PRO

CON

Rule Helps Students To Keep Trying

Rule Rewards Students for Slacking

by Hunter Moore ‘15 In 2006, MCPS made the wise decision of implementing the 50-percent rule.

The rule prohibits teachers from giving low, failing grades. Although some contend that the rule allows students to slack off, the 50-percent rule actually encourages students to keep trying and not give up on a course in which they struggle.

Student athletes benefit the most, because the rule makes it easier for them to balance school and sport while remaining eligible. Assuming student-athletes do their homework for a completion grade worth 10 percent of the overall grade, the 50-percent rule nearly guarantees a passing grade for the students who give an effort.

The 50-percent rule not only can help keep students eligible, but also helps those talented athletes to have a better GPA as college coaches consider them for their teams.

Without the 50-percent rule, students could not study (as most occasionally do), fail a test and receive such a low grade that it brings them down an entire letter grade in a class. Tanking on a 100-point summative grade could be detrimental to a grade, but the 50-percent rule takes away some of the sting to the overall grade.

The 50-percent rule is not just for those students struggling to pass a class.

Students who consistently earn As and Bs on assignments should not see all their hard work ruined by one terrible grade.

Emergencies and illnesses do occur. There are also times when students have so much to do that they cannot give their usual effort to everything. Students’ overall grade should reflect the totality of their effort in a class, and the 50-percent rule helps ensure this is the case.

Those against the 50-percent rule may argue that students will abuse the rule and use it as a free pass to slack off. While some students may take advantage of the rule, these same students likely aren’t even bothering to complete their homework or turn in assignments. In other words, they are going to fail the course whether there is a 50-percent rule or not.

Instead of the 50-percent rule being a way to slack off, it gives students more incentive to do well. Due to the fact that students may get away with a few poor grades here and there, they will study for their tests knowing that if they did not understand the material, it is not the end of the world in their high school lives.

by Whitney-Marie Halaby ‘14 In 2001, President George W. Bush established the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which aimed to make it possible for every child to graduate high school. States and districts were expected to make adjustments to reflect the goals of the federal law.

In response to NCLB requirements, MCPS established the 50-percent rule, in which students automatically receive at least a 50 percent if they show any effort to pass an assignment. Therefore, a student who actually earned 20/100 on a test, for example, would be bumped up to a 50/100.

The rationale for the 50-percent rule is to ensure that one or more awful grades do not ruin a student’s overall grade in class and lead the student to quit the class. However, in reality, the rule permits students to pick and choose when they want to try on assignments, quizzes and tests. There have been many times over a student’s high school career where he/she has a mentality of, “I don’t care, I’ll just get my 50 percent because I really don’t feel like studying.”

The MCPS policy provides a means for students to work the system rather than actually obtain knowledge.

Granted, getting a 50 percent on the

majority of assignments still will result in a horrible grade in a class, but there is still a hugely important distinction between passing and not passing a class. The 50-percent rule permits students to pass classes—and eventually graduate—when they did not earn it. It also sends the wrong message about how the real world works. College professors will not give half-credit just for trying. Bosses certainly will not give credit to an employee for doing very poorly. Just the opposite; the person will be fired.

As I reflect back on my high school career, I have to admit that it is hard to imagine making it without the 50-percent rule.

But I now realize something else: the rule has taught me how to manipulate the system to get something I didn’t really earn.

Too often, I have tried to work out the minimum grade that I can receive while doing the least amount of work possible rather than actually studying for the class. This mentality is something that I cannot take with me into the real world. MCPS cannot be blamed for my slacking off, but the 50-percent rule contributed to it by making it easier to work the system and pass by doing the very minimum in my high school courses.

Teachers Not Trained for Dealing with Depressed Students

By Julia Gajewski-Nemes ’15 By age 19, 28 percent of all adolescents will experience at least one episode of major depression. With each instance, students will likely experience symptoms such as withdrawal from friends and family, changes in eating and sleeping habits, lack of motivation, and difficulty concentrating, which can hinder the student’s ability to do his or her best in school.

Although more than one in every four teenagers have experienced and suffered from symptoms of depression during their adolescence, MCPS has failed to adequately accommodate students who are struggling with it.

Currently, MCPS assigns one school psychologist to several schools. According to the district’s policy, the job of a school psychologist is to work in collaboration with school staff in order to create a healthy learning environment for students.

However, school psychologists are strictly accessible to MCPS staff and parents and cannot be contacted by students for help. In fact, students rarely, if ever, have any oneon-one interactions with school psychologists in a therapeutic setting.

Nevertheless, every school in MCPS has school counselors that are available to students on a daily basis. Although in their job description MCPS briefly mentions that counselors can play a role in main-

Cal Wilson ‘14

taining emotional health, counselors at the high school level primarily focus on students’ academic achievements and goals for the future. Furthermore, students do not always feel comfortable reaching out to their school counselors or do not always realize that they are suffering from depression. There needs to be more involvement in the classroom to recognize depression and respond appropriately to students who

may be struggling with it.

As of today, there is very minimal training for teachers on identifying depression in students. Many teachers may not realize that depression affects as much as a quarter of their students and could be the reason behind a fluctuation in grades in some of them. The lack of motivation and focus that depression causes usually leads to lower test scores and the inability

to complete tasks. Without understanding the effects of depression, a teacher may be giving grades to a student that does not reflect his or her true capability.

At a minimum, MCPS should create an online workshop that all middle and high school teachers must complete before every school year to ensure awareness of the signs of teenage depression, what can cause it, how it affects a student, and the newest research developments. This awareness would allow a teacher to informally screen students with depression and give them a greater understanding for the students in his or her classroom at a more personal level.

The recognition of their students’ emotional states would allow for a more effective teaching style that tailors to each student. If a teacher were to see a student with signs of depression that significantly affect the student emotionally and academically, then the teacher would not only offer emotional support to the student, but also potentially offer an extension or retake on specific assignments in which the student’s true ability was not demonstrated.

School would be a much more comfortable place for adolescents if they felt that the staff are not there simply to ensure they are academically on the right path to “success.” Students need to feel that the people responsible for their education also care for their overall well-being.

The Warrior•Opinions 14

March 7, 2014

Required Service Hours for MCPS Render Students Less Enthusiastic

by Leo Corman ‘15 Just to be clear, I do not want to discourage or argue against students serving their communities. Volunteering to help others is a noble and admirable pursuit.

However, the mandatory nature of the service that MCPS students must perform detracts from the value of the activity and all the benefits that come with it—responsibility, perspective, empathy and more.

When students are forced to earn service hours, they are less likely to find the experience gratifying and worthwhile and more likely to see the hours as a chore, something to complete grudgingly and get out of the way. The current MCPS policy does not reward thoughtfulness or creativity in relation to the service, leaving students with little to no incentive for seeking out the most helpful or important activity. Instead, MCPS places quantity over quality, giving less recognition to a student who toils for 50 hours at a soup kitchen to feed the homeless than to a student who racks up 300 hours helping out at parent nights and school functions.

Furthermore, the service requirements fail to consider the needs of less privileged students.

Plenty of students come home from school and have to hold jobs or care for younger siblings, and their parents are too busy working to transport them to various service activities. The requirements create an unfair burden for these students, putting them at a serious disadvantage when it comes to finding hours. At a minimum, MCPS should make a greater effort to accommodate students whose circumstances make it difficult for them to earn service hours.

However, the crux of the problem does not lie with the amount of hours (admittedly, 75 is not that much to ask); rather, it lies with the general principles involved. MCPS oversteps its boundaries when it attempts to dictate how students spend their time outside of school. Just as students cannot be compelled to play a team sport or join a particular club, so too should they not be mandated to complete community service. No matter how beneficial or advantageous the activity, schools should not have

Morbid Minutes

by Bridget Cook ‘14

This year, the cancellation of the biennial “Every 15 Minutes” program has disappointed many. But when considered, what is it that people wish they could experience? Viewing a horrific car accident outside of their school? Seeing the mangled, bloody faces of their peers who are “victims” in the accident? Watching someone in a Halloween costume proudly stroll the halls, “claiming” certain people for death?

“Every 15 minutes” felt much more like a theatrical horror production than an event made to raise awareness for such a grave issue. While it’s beneficial to warn students of the consequences of drunk driving, how will crudely painting their faces with white makeup and forbidding them to talk for the rest of the day accomplish that? When I experienced the program, I saw far too much stifled laughter as kids were removed from class and given a zombie makeover. Far too many people were eager to see the gory re-enactment of the accident in the parking lot. Drunk driving awareness is definitely critical for high-schoolers, but bloody dramatizations of tragic deaths should by no means be something that students excitedly anticipate.

3rd and Wrong

the power to force students to do anything not related to academics.

While MCPS and individual schools should do everything in their power to promote volunteerism and emphasize the importance of community service, in the same way they do with extracurricular activities overall, they should leave the decision of whether or not to actually participate in those activities up to each student and his/her family. Schools can begin to instill the values of volunteerism and helping others in children at a young age, and they can offer school-sponsored volunteer opportunities to encourage the application of these values.

Ultimately, students should feel engaged and enthusiastic about the service they provide and the good they do for their communities, and this will only occur when MCPS prioritizes the type of activity over the length of time the activity takes. If MCPS removes the label of “mandatory” and allows students to see how helping others can be rewarding and fulfilling, then students will still perform community service, only they might actually enjoy it.

As the connotation of the N-word changes, the NFL makes a bad call proposing penalties for using the word in games.

by Zach Stubblefield ‘15 The NFL may impose a penalty on the use of the N-word in professional football games. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell thinks that this will help stop the use of the word in a racist way.

Quite simply, it is an awful idea.

What the NFL is failing to realize is that many young black men use the N-word with a positive connotation. The NFL and others need to see that the word’s meaning has evolved. Now it is not just a word that evokes imagery of lynchings and years of oppression, but one that invokes a sense of camaraderie among many young black people.

Most of the time when the N-word is used on the football field, it is not used in a racist way.

If it was used as a racist term, black players would let the world know. For example, the two white players, Riley Cooper and Richie Incognito, who said the N-word in a racist way in the 2013 NFL season almost lost their jobs because of it and turned their teams’ locker rooms into a mess for the remainder of the season.

Moreover, putting a penalty

O’Malley Not Ready

by Betselot Wondimu ‘15 It is ridiculously early to be thinking about the 2016 Presidential Election, but Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has been making some bold moves since Barack Obama’s reelection. His rise to national recognition truly took off in 2013, when he led legislative reforms in legalizing same-sex marriage, implementing gun control measures and repealing capital punishment. He admitted he has presidential aspirations in a “Face the Nation” interview in late February of 2014, and his relative success as a governor would definitely support his campaign.

Although O’Malley is respectably progressive, his hopes of a serious presidential bid are low. A Baltimore Sun poll revealed that he is the third choice among Maryland Democrats for the Democratic nomination in 2016, falling well behind Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.

O’Malley completed his most memorable year as governor in 2013; with rankings this low in his prime and his agenda checklist now essentially complete, he may not be a part of the conversation in 2016. Unless O’Malley does something miraculous in the next two years, it is doubtful that he will have a chance at making it to the White House.

on the use of the N-word would affect black players more than any other group of players in the NFL. After all they are the ones who use the word the most. Isn’t it ironic that a penalty that is intended to stop racism against a group of players is going to end up only hurting the group of players it is trying to protect?

I am not advocating the use of the word in every situation. I am just saying we as a society must acknowledge that the N-word does not just have negative connotations anymore. Through hip-hop and popular culture, many young people have grown up hearing the N-word used as a synonym for friend rather than hearing it as a symbol of hate. A penalty in the NFL on the use of the word would not work for this very reason; it would be impossible to know with what purpose the players are saying the word.

If anything, penalizing the use of the word is a step back. It gives the N-word more legitimacy as a racist term. The NFL should not prohibit players’ use of the N-word, because banning the use of the word will slow society from moving on from the past.

Religion and Bigotry

by Becky Ewing ‘14

Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer recently struggled to make what should have been a very easy decision. She had to decide whether to sign or veto a bill which allows businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples on religious grounds. Supporters of the bill, like the Arizona Catholic Conference, were urging Brewer to sign the bill passed by Arizona’s Republican state legislators. In the midst of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) social movements, bigots are once again lashing out by using religion as a justification to deny fellow Americans their equal rights. Religious institutions, including the Catholic Church, are not compelled to preside over same-sex marriage. However, it is absurd to believe that corporations, which are not individuals, should have the power to establish a single religious belief for all those who enter their businesses. Last Wednesday, Brewer vetoed the bill, saving Arizona from the embarrassment of standing in the way of progress towards tolerance and equality.

The Warrior•Opinions March 7, 2014

15

- Immigration Most politicians agree that the United States has a broken immigration system, but have failed to come together to improve it – hopefully until now. To begin the New Year, Congress unveiled a list of principles on the topic of immigration reform, which supports tighter border security and a new process of granting legal status for undocumented immigrants and “Dreamers” (undocumented immigrants brought here by their parents at a very young age).

Should “Dreamers” be given the same rights as American citizens?

YES

70% 30%

NO

Do undocumented immigrants have a positive or negative impact on our economy?

POSITIVE

36%

64%

NEGATIVE

Which should be the more important priority: enacting stricter border security or a pathway to citizenship?

SECURITY *132 students surveyed

39% 61%

PATHWAY

Would you support or oppose a program giving undocumented immigrants amnesty (a pardon for wrongdoing) or a pathway to citizenship if they meet certain requirements such as paying a fine, working, joining the military, pursuing an education, supporting themselves independently, etc.?

“Absolutely not. That’s like giving a convicted robber bonus cash. They broke our laws. Why should we reward them for it?

If they seek citizenship properly, then I would not mind.”

- Jessica Fishbein ‘15

“I would support this idea, mostly because it feels like we are trying too hard to push immigrants away. They may not be legal, but they are here for a better life, so the U.S. needs to be willing to create better programs, in terms of helping immigrants out more than they do now.”

- Ben Cooper ‘16

cartoon by Emma Hierholzer ‘15

A Story of ‘Affluenza’

by Stacey Wells ‘15 This past December, a teenage boy in Texas drove drunk and murdered four people. Instead of serving the recommended 20 years in prison, he got off easy with only 10 years of probation.

The defense argued that the boy suffered from “affluenza,” which is a ‘psychological problem’ that can affect privileged children.

In other words, this teenager received barely any punishment for his irresponsible behavior due to the fact that he was raised by a rich family.

First off, the disease “afflueneza” isn’t even recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. This affliction is based off the belief that children who grow up in a privileged environment have delusional ideas about what is allowed. However, wealthy parents are not the only factors that influence a child’s development. Both media and friends affect individuals, meaning that privileged children should still be able to decipher right from wrong even if their parents spoil them rotten. Teachers also influence and discipline students, which means that even the most privileged individuals would receive punishment and understand the effects of their actions.

If affluenza was an actual psychological disorder, does that mean that there should there be a disease invented for under-privileged children as well? If a child grows up in an under-privileged environment and never received any guidance from his parents, does he also get to skirt jail time for not knowing what’s right? Or would only wealthy teens get to avoid jail?

If a rich teenager can skirt

20 years of jail time because of a made-up disease, then others may use similar excuses to avoid prison. Someone could easily claim that their glasses led them to be bullied, which led them to kill someone. The only factor that should make a difference in court is the crime in question, not an individual’s wealth, race, gender or past experiences. The teenager in Texas committed a horrendous crime and he should face the full sentence, no matter what “richchild disease” he may have.

Furthermore, America has a wonderful thing called rule of law. This means that all citizens must follow the same set of rules regardless of who they are. Way back when rule of law did not exist, members of royalty, religious leaders and rich citizens were able to avoid the law while the poor would get heavily punished for minor crimes. Citizens were not seen as equals; if one individual had an abundance of money then he was able to avoid punishment.

Nowadays, in the United States, everyone is supposed to be punished equally, but that is not the reality. Wealthier citizens are able to buy better lawyers, while the very poor can only accept whoever is assigned to them. Even if rule of law is not always perfect, it is still the basis of equality in America and should be an ideal that America tries to achieve.

The judge’s sentencing of the teen to probation suggests that some people have the right to get away with murder. Being privileged should not grant an individual the right to skirt jail time. If this “psychological problem” is eventually accepted as truth by the courts, then our court system will only become more unequal in its application of justice.

The Warrior•Wondering Warrior 16

March 7, 2014

D O O RW E H S D E K S A R I R E O H I T R R T A U O W B E A S TH T N E S D E U N T O S H P T R SMA

V

How much would you have to be paid to go one month without using your cellphone at all?

23% Over 1000$

21% 500-1000$

Do you own the iPhone or an Android phone?

70% said iPhone

29% 0-100$

18% said Android 12% said neither

27% 100-500$

*120 students surveyed

What do you think about parents using smart phones to track their kids?

“Good for parents knowing where their children are but bad for kids because they can’t lie.”

- Rachel Seney ‘16 “Kids have no privacy but they are safer.”

-Erica Wragg ‘17

“We need privacy.”

-Casey Minnick ‘17

“It’s not really cool to not trust your children.”

-Matthew Kim ‘17

What do you think about the new “teen dating” apps?

“It is unsafe because people can track your private information, such as your address and age.”

-Owen Followell ‘17

compiled by Sammie Spillman ‘16

“They are stupid.”

-Katie Bouvier ‘15 “They are so lame.”

-Anthony Jones ‘17

The Warrior•Entertainment 17

March 7, 2014 Shows + Shindigs

March 8

The Orwells The Silver Palms

March 28 Nas

U Street Music Hall, DC

March 15 Ana Sia The Glitch Mob Penthouse Penthouse

Fillmore, Silver Spring

March 23 S.P.Y Danny Byrd Fred V & Grafix

March 26 We the Kings This Century Crash the Party

Kennedy Center, DC

9:30 Club, DC

U Street Music Hall, DC graphic by Katie Mercogliano ‘14

Dubstep’s Lasting Power Tested

by Madison Dymond ‘16

Over the years, many different genres of music have had their time in the spotlight. Punk had its moment in the late 70s; heavy metal in the 80s; and rap in the 90s. Today, you can’t walk through the halls of Sherwood without hearing the word “dubstep” at least once a day.

A couple of years ago, most people couldn’t tell someone anything about this type of music. However, dubstep has been around for a long time. In some cases, music that is considered popular or “in” isn’t even new.

The band Grateful Dead appeared twice in the spotlight, first in the 1960s and then a resurgence. Other bands, like The Black Keys, are very successful with a sound that repackages the sound of bands from many years ago.

Dubstep originated from South London, England during the 1990s. Dubstep developed from many genres such as 2-step garage, drum and bass, broken beat, jungle, dub and reggae. The first sounds of dubstep came from artists including El-B, Oris Jay, Steve Gurley and Zed Bias. Dubstep has a syncopated rhythm and is sometimes characterized by its repeated bass drops.

Currently, popular dubstep artists include Skrillex, Skream, Flux Pavilion, Doctor P, Nero, Datsik, Zeds Dead and Bassnectar. Skrillex is definitely the most popular dubstep artist among teens. “I like his songs because they’re fun to listen to and they

eldoradobar.com

With hits like “Crank” and “Hit Me,” popular duo, Zeds Dead, has risen to fame with EDM’s surgence. have a nice beat that makes me want to jump up from my seat and dance,” said sophomore Duy-An Trieu.

Not only students who listen to dubstep, but even those that don’t have strong opinions about it. Sophomore Tom Baker describes dubstep as an avant-garde EDM genre that combines elements from 2-step, British garage and dub. He does not like dubstep because it does not have large emphasis on highly proficient guitar work. He does, however, believe it can still be considered music “If such abstract and experimental genres such as drone, noise, dark ambient and grind-core are considered music, then dubstep is no different.”

Baker also believes that dubstep will always have a following, though it may not last in the

mainstream. “Just as grunge and nu-metal had their time in the spotlight among teens but slowly lost popularity, but still a lot of teens enjoy said genres,” Baker said.

People of all different ages and personalities like dubstep, which is why it just might last in the mainstream. An attraction of dubstep is that it emits energy and power that makes listeners feel like they can do and be anything.

“Dubstep is not symmetrical; it is not properly in order. It gives you this release that all of us desire, and is fun, full of energy, and is a music genre like no other,” said sophomore Krissy Hernandez.

The term “dubstep” is often misused. Pop songs that have been remixed and have had abstract sounds added to them are sometimes called dubstep. People often mix up dubstep with the other types of electronic music, such as house, techno, trap or trance. The sounds in dubstep are quite unique and easily distinguishable to avid listeners, but not to an eletronic music newbie.

For mostly all music genres that become mainstream there is a backlash. When rock became mainstream, there was a backlash. Even now that pop, rap and country are mainstream, there is a backlash. With dubstep becoming mainstream, there’s already signs of negative reaction to the controversial style of music. It is difficult to predict dubstep’s lasting power with such mixed reviews, but for now it’s popularity is still hanging on.

The Warrior•Entertainment 18

March 7, 2014

Avett Brothers Take Coffee House Feel to Big Stadium

by Michael Natelli ‘14

Scott Galupo’s concert review in the Washington Post this week argued that the Avett Brothers are “trying to straddle two very different worlds.” He suggests that they employed “labor-saving techniques of a duo working on the cheap,” and that their lack of using their large video board backdrop and pizazz was a disappointment.

Perhaps Galupo thought he was supposed to be seeing Savoy or Avicii that night?

Last Friday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, the Avett Brothers accomplished what only a few musical acts seem capable of in modern-day performing: a combination of humility, genuine talent, and entertainment that was drawn more from the music than it was from any fancy dancers, lights or video backdrops.

One might relate the show to a coffeehouse performance with 12,000 of your closest friends.

There were no obscure outfits, twerking or untalented lip-syncers, and if that’s what Galupo was expecting, then I can see why he’d be disappointed.

But what the crowd was actually in for was a remarkable display of musical ability, wheth-

er it was Scott Avett simultaneously singing, playing banjo and beating a bass drum or cellist Joe Kwon moving across the stage while, at the same time, playing some of the fastest cello riffs I’ve ever encountered.

But Galupo goes on, and suggests that after “giving a hint of what they’re becoming capable of” with two up-tempo rock songs, the band, essentially, disappointed by turning back to “sleepy ballads.” Sleepy? Looks like the Post’s reviewer was up past his bed time.

Galupo must’ve been the only one at Patriot Center last weekend that didn’t seem to quite get (or quite appreciate) what the Avett Brothers are all about.

While many, from Madonna to Lady Gaga to Bruno Mars and so forth, have made their names on being stylistic and lavish performers, it’s not about that with the Avett Brothers; for them, it’s about taking the personal stories of hardship and triumph that their die-hard fans know so well and putting them to music. The way the audience sang along like a church choir as Scott Avett stood alone under a spotlight and sang “Murder in the City” is proof that their simplistic methods are a success.

Tradition Triumphs for Film

by Allie Pino ‘15

The newly released film “Son of God,” directed by Christopher Spencer, is one of the best movie versions of the story of Jesus.

Unlike the graphic “The Passion of the Christ” and controversial “The Last Temptation of Christ,” “Son of God” is aimed more at a Christian audience wanting to see the traditional Biblical story and is unlikely to rouse controversy even though it includes violent scenes of Romans beating and killing Jews and a horrendous crucifixion scene.

“Son of God” is a cut-down version of producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s TV miniseries “The Bible,” depicting the story of Jesus. Notably, scenes with Satan have been removed from the movie because the actor who played him reportedly looked like Barack Obama.

There are moments when “Son of God” still looks like a TV show. Camera work that was realistic on the small screen can be head-throbbing on the big screen.

Shots of ancient Jerusalem that looked reasonable on TV appear fake in a theater. The jumps over commercial breaks makes the film version a bit choppy in scenes.

The costumes and settings all seem to attempt a classic Christian look and the actors – for the

allchristiannews.com

most part – visually represent the biblical figures most people are familiar with. More than that, though, “Son of God” ponders many of Christ’s teachings and pure way of life.

Viewers get Jesus (Portuguese model Diogo Morgado) reciting some of his more famous sayings, usually within a brief, recognizable biblical scene. Since the Nativity portion of his life was skipped in this version, Jesus appears on screen fully formed.

The disciples move as a clear unit in “Son of God,” speaking when biblical text requires them to.

Viewers still get a sense of these historical figures, such as St. John (Sebastian Knapp), who gives brief pieces of narration to string

the story together.

Like many Christ stories, this one clearly prefers to focus on Jesus’ torture and crucifixion over his teachings and ideas. Christ’s sacrifice is central to many Christian churches, so it tends to be the root of most filmed version of the life of Jesus.

“Son of God” ultimately is more about depicting the source of people’s faith than about the filmmaking. And while some additional footage was shot by other directors to turn the original miniseries chapters into a whole feature film, the primary objective of the film is to provide a representation of the life of Jesus for those who believe him to be the savior of mankind.

Netflix & Hulu Hidden Gems Streaming TV shows can be overwhelming with so many different options to choose from, so The Warrior’s Katie Mercogliano ‘14 assembled a list to make things just a little bit easier.

Freaks and Geeks (Netflix)

Not only is this best on the list, but it is probably one of the greatest shows of all time.

It is the ultimate cult classic. “Freaks and Geeks” started the careers of Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Philip Busy, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Samm Levine, Lizzy Caplan, Rashida Jones and most importantly, James Franco. The show follows Lindsay Weir (Cardellini) and Sam Weir (Daley) in their journey to fit in. Yes, it sounds cliché, but it’s not. In only 18 episodes (people are still dumbfounded this was canceled after just one season), each character is developed immensely. And out of all the characters (yes, including Franco’s classic lovable rebel, Daniel Desario) arguably the best comedic character ever was created, Starr’s Bill Haverchuck.

A big claim to make, but it is true. There are countless reasons to watch this show, but to see fan-favorite, adorably hilarious Haverchuck dressed as the Bionic Woman for Halloween should be reason enough.

My So-Called Life (Hulu)

The amazing high school drama TV show that started them all. “My So-Called Life” starring Golden Globe nominated Claire Danes and Oscar winning Jared Leto, was unlike any other teen show that came before it. It addressed serious issues, but rather than solving the issues at the end of the episode, they actually kept developing throughout the season. The show covered a large spectrum of serious issues, and the narration was incredibly well written and relatable. Also, Leto’s Jordan Catalano will probably go down in history as one of the best bad boys in television.

Undeclared (Netflix)

After the tragic end of Freaks and Geeks, Judd Apatow (“The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” “Pineapple Express”) lost another nearly perfect show after the first season as well. “Undeclared” stars Jay Baruchel as a lost young adult desperately trying to become self-aware in college. The show also stars Seth Rogen, and creates that balance of humor and substance Apatow has in his shows and films. Whether it’s due to poor time slots or just realizing its brilliance a little too late, this show was also canceled after the first season. While not quite as amazing as “Freaks and Geeks”, “Undeclared” is definitely worth watching.

21 Jump Street (Hulu)

No, not the Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum movie, but the classic 80s TV series. This was Johnny Depp’s big break, and it’s a must-watch. Depp plays an undercover cop in high school like the premise of the movie, but unlike the film, the series covers issues like alcoholism, homophobia, AIDS, hate crimes, child abuse, drug abuse and sexual promiscuity. This show could have easily been a campy-after school special if not for Depp’s commanding presence.

Moone Boy (Hulu)

This quirky, family-centered comedy follows the Moone Family, focusing in on the youngest in the family, 12-year-old Martin, and his imaginary friend, Seán Murphy, played by hilarious actor, Chris O’Dowd. Set in rural Ireland in the late eighties/early nineties, it combines surrealism, comedy and family.

It has six episodes per season and its third season is being written currently.

The Warrior•Sports 19

March 7, 2014

Is the NFL Locker Room and World Ready for Sam?

by Will Van Gelder ‘16 Former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam publicly announced he was gay in a recent interview with ESPN’s “Outside The Lines.” Sam’s announcement has been widely considered an act of courage, as he is preparing for the NFL draft, which is to be held on the weekend of May 8-10. While many NFL franchises have already issued statements that they would welcome Sam into their organizations with open arms, the NFL has a reputation of having a homophobic culture, and it is still unknown what type of reception Sam will receive when he enters the NFL. First let’s look at the good news. It’s already been proven that Sam could be in a football locker room without creating a “distraction” to his teammates.

This was the case last year when Sam came out to his college teammates at Missouri, which, if anything, even further supports Sam’s case as there are almost twice as many players on a college roster as an NFL squad. He could also be regarded as an inspiration to many gay athletes and convince them that they can make it in the world of sports.

And with Sam and NBA center Jason Collins both “coming

out” in the last calendar year, the number of openly gay athletes in major American sports could see a significant increase in future years, helping change many people’s perceptions of homosexuals in sports. In other words, Sam’s courage may help cause a domino effect that could eventually lead to gay people being more widely accepted not just by fellow athletes but by the sports community (fans, players, team officials, etc.) as a whole. This could eventually lead to a growing tolerance and acceptance level of gay people in a more general context.

Now for the bad news. According to an article in The Washington Post, many NFL team officials said that Sam’s announcement caused a significant drop in his NFL Draft stock, moving him from the middle rounds of the draft to the later rounds because of his potential to become a distraction. Additionally, while many players have voiced support for Sam in recent weeks, a recent investigative report into bullying in the locker room of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins found that offensive lineman Richie Incognito and other teammates regularly used gay slurs against a rookie teammate, who wasn’t even gay.

While a majority of Americans support gay marriage, millions,

including Sam’s own father, do not. Sam’s father said he “didn’t want his grandkids to grow up in that environment.”

While most aspiring NFL players are drafted based on their playing skills and NFL readiness, NFL owners and coaches will have to consider much more when drafting Sam, including how well he will fit in the locker room and if his being gay could be a distraction to players. Sam will also be facing much more media attention and scrutiny than other potential draftees, which he will have to learn how to ignore.

Sam surely knows that he will not be accepted by every player and fan, but he has already shown the courage to overcome these obstacles by coming out to the general public before May’s NFL Draft. While he’s already said he doesn’t want to get too involved in gay rights debates, Sam will certainly become an inspiration to aspiring gay athletes everywhere.

Softball Looks to Veteran Leadership

by Kaleigh Homer ‘15

Even with the departure of their longtime coach as well as the graduation of some key players, the girls’ softball team will enter the season with plenty of reasons to believe they can win a third consecutive 4A state championship.

The Warriors will begin the season nationally ranked at number 37, and second in the state behind Northern High School from Owings Mill. Senior Meggie Dejter, who was the team’s ace in 2012-2013, is looking forward to leading the ladies to one last state title before she graduates.

Although outfielder Amelia Naik, third baseman Kelsey Lineberger and first baseman Megan McDonough all graduated last year, returning players include juniors Juliane Swarr and Nicole Stockinger and seniors Marybeth Bidwick, Dejter, Addie Armbruster and Rae Harrison. Stockinger will play a huge part for the Warrior offense; in her sophomore season she hit 12 home runs in 21 games. Dejter was the team’s star pitcher last season, maintaining a .90 earned run average and

12 shutouts in her junior year, and will once again be primed to lead the girls to another title. The senior also knows how to pitch under pressure after pitching a one-hitter in the 2012 state championship.

“I believe states is possible this year because we have a great pitcher and awesome defense.

We just need to not take anything for granted; we just need to work hard and keep our eyes on the prize,” said Swarr.

The retirement of legendary coach Pat Flanagan also should not impede the Warriors’ aspirations, because the team has found a very capable replacement in former JV coach Ashley Barber-Strunk. Flanagan turned the program around during her time in Sandy Spring, leaving a team which is currently on a 42-game winning streak in addition to the two consecutive state championships they have won.

“I am thrilled for this; it is something I have been waiting for,” said Barber-Strunk. “I have been playing since I was little and went DII and won the NCAA my senior year. I have the passion and the love of the sport to coach.”

Softball -Next Games: Northern; March 15 at 12 pm at Northern

Wootton; March 21 at 3:30 pm at Sherwood -Key News: The Warriors are ranked 37th nationally coming into the season, after winning back-to-back 4A State Championships.

The team hopes to continue its 42-game win streak behind AllMet players senior Meggie Dejter and junior Nicole Stockinger.

The Warrior•Sports 20

March 7, 2014

The ‘Fresh Five’ Four Years Later

In the 2011 yearbook, five freshman athletes were profiled for their athletic excellence when they all made varsity softball in the spring.

“I can’t wait to go to states, if we make it! I played outside school [before].”

-Rae Harrison “It’s exciting. [Before this year] I played with the Olney Cougars for five or six years.”

-Addie Armbruster

“I’m kind of excited to play with all the upperclassmen and learn from them. I wasn’t expecting to make varisty, but it was a suprise. I’m happy about it.”

-Lisa Intoccia “It’s a good experience to work with the upperclassmen. They work you harder and you have to impress them. They push you to do your best.”

-Kasey Rosen “It’s an honor, but it’s intimidating knowing that you’re supposed to be the really good freshman, and everyone has expectations that you can’t always fill.”

-Meggie Dejter

Seniors Kasey Rosen, Lisa Intoccia, Addie Armbruster, Rae Harrison and Meggie Dejter garnered attention as freshmen when they were each photographed and individually quoted in the school yearbook after they made varsity softball. The team is now made up of the latter three, who look to play huge roles in the 2014 campaign. Two state championships later, these Warriors are looking for the perfect ending to their careers, which began with them learning from older and more experienced players.

Being the youngest player on a team usually means one has a lot to prove. The case was no different with this team, where the girls felt like they needed to earn everything. “When I first made the team I was really excited to play with and learn from all the older girls,” said Intoccia. “Playing with girls who had been playing at such a competitive level for so long really pushed us younger girls to keep up and prove we were good enough to earn a starting spot on varsity.”

Rosen stopped playing softball after her sophomore year, after capturing the first of now two state championships. Already with two years of JV volleyball under her belt, she decided she would play club and coed volleyball in addition to her duties as part of the varsity girls’ volleyball team for her final two years at Sherwood.

“After playing softball for so long, I really wanted to try to find something new, and that’s when I discovered volleyball,” said Rosen. “Volleyball was just something new and it started to grow on me.”

Intoccia stopped playing softball also, after it had long played a large role in her life. She injured her back going into junior

ow N

Then

by Joey Lavoie ‘14

Jack Armstrong ‘15

From left: Seniors Addie Armbruster, Lisa Intoccia, Rae Harrison, Meggie Dejter and Kasey Rosen were a part of the 2012 softball state championship team after going undefeated during the regular season. year which made the decision to leave the team a little easier. The injury also forced her to end her volleyball career after discovering the sport the same way Rosen did after entering Sherwood.

Armbruster looks to continue to control the outfield after three years of playing under long time coach Pat Flanagan. Last season she started in left field, but will look to move around more this season with new coach Ashley Barber-Strunk at the helm. Armbruster was a part of an Olney Cougars travel softball team with several current players including seniors Dejter, Marybeth Bidwick, Rachel Ames and juniors Julie Swarr and Nicole Stockinger.

“Since we’ve played together for so long we’re extremely comfortable around each other and we really mesh well as a team,” said Armbruster. “In more of a game

sense we know everyone’s habits and strengths so we know how to motivate each other and know their abilities.”

Harrison has a very different view of the field, playing catcher and having the role as field captain from behind the plate. After playing behind the plate with Class of 2012 graduate Kristen Holonich her freshman year, Harrison took over the starting role and never looked back. In her two years behind the plate, she has primarily caught for two players, Kailyn Cohen (’13) and Dejter.

This experience has allowed for her to grow very familiar with her pitchers, both as fellow teammates and friends.

“Catching for Meggie and Kailyn over the years since we started softball has helped,” said Harrison. “They’re both talented pitchers and batters have trouble catching up to them. Meg and

I like to go through every pitch and talk about where we want it to go and when to throw it which we say helps us get in sync for games.”

Dejter is going to continue to play a key role on the mound after committing to play Division I college softball at Towson University. Dejter will have a lot pressure on her shoulders to perform for the now two-time undefeated Warriors, after having one of the most incredible seasons in Sherwood history.

“Playing all four years with Rae as my catcher has been great; these first three years we’ve really gotten comfortable together because we’ve been through all the big games and even the bad games,” said Dejter. “We have that experience that’s been building up these past four years which is good because now we know kind of what to expect.”

Basketball Run Ends Early at Springbrook

by Zach Stubblefield ‘15 Boys’ basketball’s playoff run came to an end on Wednesday night when the Warriors fell to Springbrook by a final score of 74-52. Sherwood had won its first-round playoff game on February 28 with a 53-47 win against Paint Branch.

The victory over Paint Branch was a rough and tumble affair. In the first half, bodies were hitting the floor on many possessions on both ends of the court as Paint Branch built a small lead going into halftime. The second half is when Sherwood really started to take control of the game. Junior Xavier McCants opened up the third quarter with four early points that helped the Warriors get into a rhythm. The final score of the game does not tell the whole story, as Sherwood

dominated Paint Branch in almost every aspect of the game during the second half.

Unfortunately, Sherwood could not replicate the second-half magic when they played Springbrook, which finished the regular season with a 20-2 record.

Sherwood played from behind for virtually the whole game. Despite this, they were able to keep the score relatively close until about midway through the third quarter when Springbrook pulled away.

Despite the loss Coach, Tim Gilchrist was still proud of his team. “Our team matched Springbrook’s toughness the entire game and were resilient when it would have been much easier to just roll over and give up,” said Gilchrist.

The season can only be regarded as a success when one considers that the team lost four starters from last season, includ-

ing their top scorer, Brandon Loiocono, and got a new coach, Tim Gilchrist. With McCants among the returning players next season, the team looks to build on the foundation that begun this season under Glichrist.

Senior center Ellis Dozier says “It was a great season and thankfully I had a great group of teammates who made my senior year really special,” said senior center Ellis Dozier.

Next season the Warriors will look up to three players who had substantial amounts of playing time with this year’s team. The team will also count on a new group of sophomores who were brought up to varsity to play during the final few games of the season. With this group Gilchrist will be given plenty of opportunities to lead the Warriors during his second season.

Jack Armstrong ‘15

Seniors Ty Reeves, Giovanni Smith and junior Hunter Moore battle for a rebound with a Paint Branch player during the Warriors’ 53-47 win.