The Black & White Vol. 60 Issue 4

the

B&W

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Print Editor-in-Chief Kendall Headley

Print Managing Editor Tara Davoodi

Print Managing Editor Alex Schupak

Print Production Head Leah Goldstein

Cover art by VASSILI PROKOPENK.

theblackandwhite.net Online Editor-in-Chief Lily Freeman Online Managing Editors Quentin Corpuel, Caitlin Cowan Online Production Heads Christina Xiong, Greer Vermilye Online Production Assistants Jeremy Kaufman, Nicky Gandolfo, Vassili Prokopenk, Adam Giesecke Print Production Managing Assistant Maya Wiese Print Production Assistants Emma Lin, Grace Adkins, Gaby Hodor, Elizabeth Dorokhina Photo Director Josie Lane Photo Assistants Rohin Dahiya, Charlotte Horn, Maddie Kaltman, Brandon Kim, Katherine Teitelbaum, Heidi Thalman Webmaster Matt Eisner Communications and Social Media Directors Grace Corbett, John McGowan Puzzles Editor David Rosen Business Managers Quinn Sullivan, Sarah Makl Business Assistants Bertille Aubert, Sean Higgins, Elie Rasevic, Will Vander Wal, Sawyer Makl, Dresden Benke

@wwhsblackandwhite

The Black & White (B&W) is an open forum for student views from Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White’s website is www.theblackandwhite.net.

The Black & White magazine is published six times a year. Signed opinion pieces reflect the positions of individual staff members and not necessarily the opinion of Walt Whitman High School or Montgomery County Public Schools. Unsigned editorial pieces reflect the opinion of the newspaper.

All content in the paper is reviewed to ensure that it meets the highest level of legal and ethical standards with respect to the material as libelous, obscene or invasive of

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Print Copy Editor Aleydis Barnes Online Copy Editor Zoe Cantor Traffic Manager Matt Eisner Feature Editors Sasha Blake, Nil Ozdemir News Editors Vishnu Dandi, Claire Lane Opinion Editors Felix Leonhardt, Cate Navarrete Sports Editors Rafe Epstein, Cailey Thalman Feature Writers Jamie Forman, Lauren Heberlee, Simone Meyer, Kiara Pearce, Stephanie Solomon, Samie Travis News Writers Zach Poe, Sonya Rashkovan, Ethan Schenker, Samantha Wang, Alvar Wetzel Opinion Writers William Hallward-Driemeier, Eliana Joftus, Norah Rothman, Sophie Hummel Sports Writers Gibson Hirt, David Lewis, Zach Rice, Alex Weinstein Columists Skylar Chasen, Maya Goelman, Iman Ilias, Daniel Miller, Adam Nadifi, Rena Van Leeuwen, Danny Kotelanski Adviser Ryan Derenberger

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privacy. All corrections are posted on the website.

Recent awards include the 2019 CSPA Gold Crown, 2018 and 2017 CSPA Hybrid Silver Crowns, 2013 CSPA Gold Medalist and 2012 NSPA Online Pacemaker.

The Black & White encourages readers to submit opinions on relevant topics in the form of letters to the editor, which must be signed to be printed. Anonymity can be granted on request. The Black & White reserves the right to edit letters for content and space. Letters to the editor may be emailed to theblackandwhiteonline@gmail.com.

Annual mail subscriptions cost $35 ($120 for four-year subscription) and can be purchased through the online school store.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS en.”

“Be yourself; everyone else is already tak-

We all know the cliche. We’ve heard the adage thousands of times from teachers and parents, from bloggers and celebrities — all encouraging us to follow our true calling and disregard others’ judgment. It usually prompts eye rolls. After all, doesn’t “being yourself” feel like an impossible task? How do we find and express our uniqueness when society often tells us who we should be?

Yet, the statement isn’t always as hollow as we’ve regarded it.

By following our own passions, we find a place for ourselves. By allowing our instincts to guide us, we, as students, become members of society with fully unique combinations of interests, styles and traits — combinations that no one else could possibly match.

Here in our halls, this notion manifests itself through our students’ interests. One writer explored Whitman’s own makeup gurus.

Another documented a student’s experience training to be a park ranger in Wyoming. And if trekking through the Grand Teton mountain range and painting on neon winged-eyeliner isn’t enough, one columnist reflected on his time playing competitive ultimate frisbee, finding that even the most unconventional of recreational sports can prompt self growth.

We found uniqueness in the experiences of community members, too. We talked to the co-owner of Quartermaine Coffee Roasters, a Whitman parent, about the business’s locally-roasted beans. Quartermaine has been a local gem for decades, but as we kept reporting, we found newer aspects of our community that are just as compelling. When the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan came to an end in August of 2021, many Afghan refugees moved to our area — so one of our writers went into the home of a recently resettled family to learn about their experience adapting to life in the U.S.

And having perspectives that deviate from your peers is nothing to be ashamed of. A writer considered a recent self-discovery: Confidence to speak out on your personal stances is vital to foster a necessary sense of individuality.

Here at The Black & White, we all share a common love for journalism — but we each contribute to the paper in different ways with our diverse talents. From the writers who fashion comprehensive stories from mountains of interviews, to the members of production who bring those stories to colorful life, to our advisor, Ryan Derenberger, who encourages our visions throughout every step of our magazine’s creation, we thank you for finding your niche — and for using it to aid in the creation of our magazine.

We hope all of our readers find their niche, too. Keep being you, Whitman.

Best, Your editors

Photo by KATHERINE TEITELBAUM.

Alex Schupak Managing Editor

Kendall Headley Editor-in-Chief

Tara Davoodi Managing Editor

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A columnist finds that sportsmanship is the “ultimate” principle Quartermaine’s home in the Bethesda coffee scene Staff editorial: Respect isn’t an elementary value A writer reflects on the importance of social confidence 2021 pop culture rewind Afghan refugees adjust to life in the U.S. Roundtable discussion on social media A columnist’s perspective on the shortcomings of the ESOL program Remembering Whitman student Lee Horton A look into “cutting”: wrestling’s dangerous habit

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Not a walk in the park: Student trains to become a park ranger

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Student makeup artists work with a different kind of canvas Teachers’ workload increases, mental health deteriorates, union takes action Crossword

One of senior Sophie Tarlov’s intricate makeup looks.

Story on page 26. Photo courtesy SOPHIE TARLOV.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ISSUE 4, MARCH 2022 5

Ultimate Frisbee’s unique rules have shaped me into a better person on and off the field gra phi c

by GR AC EA

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by Danny Kotelanski

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“Foul! I call foul!”

Suddenly, everything around me turns to stone. Players on the field freeze in their spots.

Coaches on the sideline quiet down. The frisbee lays flat on the turf below me, waiting for the game to resume. As the defender, the spotlight shines on me, and the player I’m guarding, the one who called the foul. I try to trace my steps back to just moments earlier. Did I smack his hand when he threw the disc? Did I foul him?

I think I did. Our discussion is ready to begin.

To those unfamiliar, the sport of ultimate Frisbee may seem pretty strange. Tossing a picnic toy down a football-sized field is a little unconventional. Yet the most unique aspect of the sport is the one that’s largely unknown and misunderstood, even by many players: “Spirit of the Game.”

“Spirit of the Game” is fundamental to ultimate Frisbee. This guiding principle declares that all games are self-officiated, trusting players to make and debate their own calls without any referees. It’s a style that promotes equality, fairplay and sportsmanship — any player on the field can make a call if they feel as though a rule has been violated. It’s common to hear the calls “drop,” “foul” and “out of bounds” on the field during a game. In fact, debate can arise over any call. Players involved in an altercation, whether that’s two opposing players or many, will come to an agreement on how to resume play depending on their viewpoints of the situation.

SOTG offers more than just a set of rules — it provides a culture of play. The international ultimate Frisbee community has built a bond through the friendliness of the game, an attitude you won’t come across in most other major sports. “Having spirit” is the phrase used to describe players who play to have fun, while putting others’ needs before their own. At tournaments or competitions, “spirit” awards are some of the most prestigious awards to receive.

In addition to influencing its culture, SOTG has inspired many of the procedures and rules of this still-developing sport. Ultimate is one of the only sports where a mixed-gender division, composed of a four to three ratio of male-to-female players per team, competes at the highest level. It’s also one of the only sports where you’ll see opponents high-five each other after a score, and where opposing teams go to hang out with each other after a game.

Coming from a background of basketball and soccer, where official referees enforce strict game rules, and players try to take every rule-based advantage they can, I had trouble accepting SOTG early on in my ultimate career.

I didn’t understand how to self-officiate while still playing competitively. I saw SOTG as a cheat code — a way to get by in games when things aren’t going your way. And, I didn’t trust that other players would respect SOTG, nor the way it’s supposed to be followed. It took me a few years of playing to realize I held incorrect beliefs about SOTG that harmed the integrity of the sport.

While most players’ ultimate careers start in high school or college, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the sport at sleepaway camp when I was eight years old.

At Camp Ramah in Massachusetts, ultimate was a tradition of its own. I spent every hour of my free time on the field, learning from my counselors who’d fallen in love with ultimate when they were once campers. My love for the sport continued into my elementary and middle school years, when I played in various weekend leagues in the D.C. area.

I was a talented player from the start. My height, athleticism and throwing technique gave me an advantage over other players my age. And yet, I had a severely underdeveloped understanding of the sport and its values: I thought my athletic skills were all I needed to be successful at ultimate.

By the time I got to high school and joined “Poets and Pitchers,” Whitman’s club ultimate team, I realized I wasn’t “the best” anymore, and that upset me. In contrast to the upperclassmen leaders on the team, I played selfishly, trying to do anything to score a goal or throw an assist. I was also too stubborn. When I made turnovers or bad plays, I had trouble picking my head up and bouncing back.

The upperclassmen played with true spirit.

They taught me that patience outweighs performance. To be a great player, they showed me, you had to develop your character first.

Encouraging my teammates when they made mistakes, putting the team before myself and holding genuine respect for all of the players on the field became some of the most important lessons I learned from the sport of ultimate.

I’m forever grateful for my first few seasons on “Poets and Pitchers” — they changed the way I saw and played the game.

I’ve come a long way from the arrogant player I once was, but I know there’s always room for me to become more spirited. Last summer, I played on a mixed team for the first time ever. Adapting to play with an unfamiliar group of people who each contributed a particular set of skills was difficult, but it created a challenge that bettered me as a player. This year, I’m co-captain of “Poets and Pitchers.”

Now, I not only have the responsibility to teach new players the mechanics of our sport but also to teach the principles of sportsmanship and friendship that SOTG embodies.

While SOTG may be an unusual and even uncomfortable concept for some, I know all athletes, young and old, could benefit from the lessons that this unique aspect of ultimate offers.

Whitman family brews up business

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by JAMIE FORMAN

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Whether you’re craving a refreshing iced mint cream coffee, a hot chai tea or even a rich snickerdoodle latte, Quartermaine Coffee Roasters in Bethesda offers more than your average cup of Joe. In Bethesda’s ever-changing restaurant scene, local coffee joint Quartermaine is a mainstay. Located next to Bethesda Bagels on Bethesda Avenue, Quartermaine has provided Bethesda residents with their daily doses of caffeine and baked goods since its ribbon cutting in 1991.

Quartermaine may be a local gem, but it has ties to arguably the biggest name in the coffee world.

After the three original founders of Starbucks — Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl — sold their company to Howard Schultz in 1987, the trio soon realized that they wanted to continue their passion for coffee, choosing to establish a new company. After researching various cities around the country to become home for their new business, the founders chose the D.C. metropolitan area. And just like that, Quartermaine Coffee Roasters opened its doors in Rockville.

Current Quartermaine CEO and Whitman parent Carolyn Weinberg has been involved with Quartermaine since its birth as a company over 30 years ago. Weinberg grew up in the Bethesda area, attending Winston Churchill High School before graduating from Syracuse University’s Business and Marketing school. Shortly after graduation, Weinberg moved to New York City, where she gained business experience working as a Bloomingdale’s associate and sales manager for the handbag company Maxx New York.

“When I moved back home and was looking for a job, there was this coffee company who was looking for a sales manager,” Weinberg said. “At the time, there weren’t any Starbucks here, but I had heard raves about it on the West Coast.”

Weinberg first joined Quartermaine as a manager for the construction of their office and coffee bean roasting plant. She loved every minute of it, she said.

Within a year, Weinberg would take a position in the company’s wholesale division, overseeing the sale of beans in bulk to neighboring restaurants. A few years later, another leadership opportunity arose, and Weinberg, along with her business partner and co-worker Roger Schuemann, decided to take

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on co-ownership of Quartermaine.

“I’d always dreamed of my own company,” Weinberg said.

“My mom laughs because I used to say that I was going to have a little shop that sold little muffins, coffee and cute clothes. I got two of those.”

Weinberg’s passion for coffee has always been an essential part of her life. Growing up with a French mother, her family’s kitchen had never lacked the aromas of coffee and homemade cuisine.

Weinberg passes her love for coffee down to her four kids, all of whom have worked at Quartermaine. Her daughter Danielle is currently a senior and is excited to work at the family shop after watching her three older siblings work there as well.

“Growing up with a successful woman role model was so important for me, and now I realize how it affected my goals and work ethic growing up,” Danielle said. “It’s a nice environment where I can comfortably grow but am challenged to become the best worker and person I can be.”

Quartermaine prides itself on freshly produced ingredients, Weinberg said. The shop roasts its own coffee beans just 15 minutes away from its storefront at their roasting facility in Rockville.

Within 24 hours of roasting, the coffee beans are delivered to the storefront to ensure premium coffee quality for customers. Before the beans end up in a cup of bold Sumatra or bright Aromatica, they have to go through a meticulous roasting process. Calvin Dove, Quartermaine’s master roaster, has been working with the company for over 20 years. Dove explained how many different components, such as the temperature, timing, color and aroma of the coffee, are necessary to perfect during roasting.

“There are two words for the process: science and art,” Dove said. “[The roasting process] is scientific, intuitive and intensive; you really need to be a good multitasker.”

On any given day at the Quartermaine coffee roasting headquarters, the rich scent of coffee fills the building along with the echoing sound of beans popping as they roast. There are two phases in the roasting process — called the “first pop” and “second pop” — which transform the raw green coffee beans into Quartermaine’s signature roast. Eleven percent of coffee beans are water, so the “first pop”

occurs when the water within the coffee beans comes to a boil. The “second pop” happens when the natural sugars within the coffee beans caramelize and develop their deep flavor.

Before the pandemic, Weinberg often went on coffee buying and tasting trips to destinations around the world, visiting different bean plantations and finding inspiration to expand Quartermaine’s diverse coffee blend selection.

The company values its relationships with various international coffee farms, some of which are over 30 years old.

Quartermaine sources and buys all of its green coffee beans from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya and Papua New Guinea.

Quartermaine sells 28 different varieties of coffee from both their storefront and website, not including their own blends, each with its own unique flavor profile and characteristics. In addition to serving individual customers, Quartermaine also sells to many local restaurants and businesses such as Clyde’s, Raku and Whole Foods.

“We always refer to our coffee as coffee with a ‘point of view,’” Weinberg said. “Because we [at Quartermaine] don’t think about what our competitors are doing, we just roast what we like, and what we think tastes good.”

Whitman alum and parent, Robert Fleshner, has been a longtime supporter of Quartermaine’s iced tea. Fleshner began to drink iced tea as an alternative to other caffeinated drinks, including coffee and Diet Coke, 30 years ago. After trying a variety of different restaurants and cafes to satisfy his tea cravings, he tried Quartermaine. He hasn’t looked back since. Every morning, Fleshner makes the six-mile commute from his Carderock home to pick up his favorite tea — a 20 year-old tradition he continues to uphold.

“It’s gotten to a point where they see me walking down the street, and by the time that I’m there, my drink is already prepared,” Fleshner said. “Their iced tea and friendly staff is unmatched and starts my day on the right note.”

The local connection is part of what makes Quartermaine so special, Weinberg said. Working with Whitman’s internship coordinator Demitra Marafatsos, Weinberg offers a paid internship program to eager Whitman students. The business internship allows students to work in the store and learn skills in business operation, customer service, register working and inventory handling. Quartermaine also has a social media internship: Students help to create social media buzz while designing outdoor signs for the storefront. One of Weinberg’s favorite aspects of running Quartermaine is giv-

ing her staff the resources they need to develop.

“It’s really important for my staff to be happy at work but also develop professionally and personally,” Weinberg said.

Sustainability is also a priority for the roasters. Their compound — which houses the coffee roasting plant and offices — is powered by wind. And, prior to the pandemic, Quartermaine offered discounts to customers who brought their own reusable cups. Today, focus on sustainability extends to their wholesale and online markets, where Quartermaine uses recyclable and compostable packaging to store and serve their coffee.

“The biggest thing that we started about a year ago was compost at our store,” Weinberg said. “We take all of our food waste, like coffee grounds and fruit peels, and compile it together into a compost bin. Every week, I look forward to receiving a report from the compost company about how many thousands of tons that we’ve composted.”

Unfortunately, due to increasing rental prices and other real estate difficulties, Quartermaine closed its second location in Georgetown Square on Jan. 31, 2020. Instead of viewing the closure as a setback, Weinberg describes it as a blessing in disguise.

“I was really sad because you put 10 years in a location and built such a strong community behind it,” Weinberg said. “Now looking back, I think with the pandemic it might have been the best thing to have happened.”

In November of 2019, Weinberg decided to renovate the Bethesda location by implementing a glass counter at the storefront, giving customers the opportunity to walk up to order and wait outside for their coffee. This addition has proven to be a useful investment with the pandemic’s distancing restrictions, Weinberg said.

“It was literally perfect timing — it saved us,” Weinberg said.

As of February 2021, Quartermaine’s only location is on Bethesda Avenue. Due to the circumstances that accompany the pandemic, Weinberg said that Quartermaine currently has no plans to expand its business.

But the Bethesda Avenue location isn’t going away any time soon. A local staple for over a quarter century, Quartermaine offers a diverse menu to please even the most critical coffee or tea connoisseur.

“Any coffee shop is good competition, but we stay true to what we do,” Weinberg said. “We’re really known for our really great coffee, having great customer service and just being a part of the community.”

“We’re really

known for our really

great coffee, having

great

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service

and just

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TOP LEFT: A Quartermaine employee hands a customer their order.

BOTTOM LEFT: The signature recyclable blue cup demontrates one of Quartermaine’s main values: sustainability. Photos by CHARLOTTE HORN.

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Respect:

It’s more than just a word Staff Editorial In elementary school, we learned about the fundamental idea of “respect.” Our teachers taught us to show consideration for others, care for the environment around us and, most importantly, remember the golden rule — treat others the way we want to be treated.

As cliche as it sounds, the concept of respect never truly becomes irrelevant. And as we progress into the second semester, we find it necessary to remind our peers of this key value, as it’s often been overlooked throughout the past few months.

As of Jan. 21, Whitman’s staff and student body have completed their first full semester back in school since the onset of the pandemic. Despite the arrival of rapidly spreading variants, for many, this semester had a certain sense of normalcy to it.

With this return, however, came a slate of new challenges — including concerns regarding safety and consideration towards our peers, teachers and other staff members.

In these situations, we haven’t always embodied the concept of respect taught to us so many years ago. Although it may seem like we are regurgitating a simple elementary level lesson that high schoolers already know, it’s important that we reflect on what “respect” and collective responsibility mean in our lives as students.

COVID-19 In the wake of the Omicron variant, along with the county’s ever-changing COVID-19 policies, students often feel stress in regards to their own safety and the safety of loved ones. Respect, in this case, involves every member taking appropriate measures to limit the spread of the virus throughout our community. While the dangers of COVID-19 may be minimal for some,

they can be the opposite for others.

If you experience symptoms, don’t ignore them — get a test. If you do contract COVID-19, be transparent with those you’ve been in close contact with. Know that it’s not “embarrassing” to have the virus. Along the same lines, if you receive a message from a peer that’s contracted COVID-19, consider responding with a “thank you” for the notice rather than resentment. The latter will only foster an environment that discourages community members from sharing their positive tests. Respect means simple transparency, and it builds on itself.

Parking Respect also extends to the Whitman parking lot, a site notorious for its hit-and-runs and negligent driving. After the final school bell, the mad rush begins as drivers clamor to get out of the parking lot before the buses: Students walk in the middle of the road, drivers connect their Bluetooth music while ignoring their surroundings and people cut each other off at every opportunity.

While this may seem inconsequential, accidents do unfortunately occur — and more often than not, drivers fail to take responsibility. Thoughtfulness towards other students’ property is a basic form of respect; it’s unfair to the victim to force them to use their own time, money and energy to repair a car they didn’t damage. If both cars are insured, which is a requirement for a Whitman parking pass, a fender bender in the parking lot isn’t the life or death situation that it may seem.

graphics by EMMA LIN

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Staff At the beginning of this year, the commons opened up for student use during lunch and in between periods. Ever since then, janitors, security guards and administrators have requested that students clean up their trash and leftover lunch food. However, the commons is often left a mess of wrappers and peels, despite trash cans placed in the middle of the area. As a result, the Whitman maintenance crew has a frustratingly large cleanup job nearly every day. It’s necessary to remember that we aren’t the only inhabitants of this school.

Cleaning up trash is a small act, but it shows respect to the jobs of our maintenance crew and their duties, and allows our peers to enjoy the new building in clean conditions.

Respect for staff includes our teachers, too.

This year, Montgomery County Public Schools has experienced teacher and substitute shortages. Often, our teachers have to cover each other’s classes and substitute teachers have longer hours. These staff members work to make sure that students maintain a sense of structure in case of teacher absences, while simultaneously working to finish their requisite duties. If you see a teacher stressed out or irritated, keep this reality in the back of your mind. By fostering a deeper level of understanding in our community, we can easily achieve a kind and positive learning environment.

We acknowledge that in the face of a global pandemic, along with the numerous other trials and tribulations of our high school lives, embodying kindness might seem relatively unimportant. But it really does serve as the bedrock for all of our relationships, interactions and, hopefully, solutions to the issues we all collectively face. So, moving forward, let’s try to demonstrate respect to our staff members, teachers and each other — it’s the only way to maintain our community’s strength during a time when we need it.

Learning to be comfortable

taking up space in the classroom

uring my time as a Hebrew school student, there was one teacher at my synagogue who I couldn’t stand. Her name was “Morah” — “Mrs.” in Hebrew — Sarah. She was an old-fashioned teacher with traditional beliefs; in addition to her lack of progressiveness on LGBTQ+ rights, Morah Sarah wasn’t even a believer in the simple terms of women’s equality. She felt that women didn’t belong on the “bimah,” the center stage of a synagogue, or in any positions of power whatsoever. Occasionally, she would attempt to justify her distaste for powerful women, stating that female politicians or activists were “too emotional” or “too opinionated.” I recall her once saying that “a woman should not be a rabbi — it just doesn’t make sense.”

After constant frustration in her class for months, I couldn’t tolerate hearing her spout bigotry any longer. I approached her one day after our lesson, and I asked her why she held these beliefs. I asked her why she didn’t respect the notion of Jewish women possessing the same duties as their male counterparts and why she maintained that a woman couldn’t have authority over others. Morah Sarah explained to me that her upbringing had shaped her values — as a conservative Jew, she had limited exposure to empowering female leaders growing up.

At that moment, I wanted to disagree. I wanted to start a discussion. I wanted to tell her that while her traditional upbringing was understandable, it was unfair to project those misogynistic teachings onto young people — especially girls — in the 21st century. But I didn’t. After her explanation, I nodded and quietly walked out of the synagogue. My feelings of social discomfort swayed my ability to stand up for myself. To this day, I regret failing to take up space in that Sunday school classroom.

Most of us are likely to experience social discomfort at times, especially when navigating challenging topics. Whether it stems from a fear of embarrassment or a lack of confidence, I’ve shied away from voicing my opinions countless times throughout my past. Over the years, however, I’ve learned just how important confidence is. Confidence — the power to say something when it isn’t easy, to do something that we wouldn’t normally do or embrace

graphic by EMMA LIN

ourselves when society tells us not to — can make the biggest change in our capacity to love and respect ourselves and each other.

For many teens, a lack of self-esteem follows them into the classroom. It’s typical for students to avoid raising their hands when they don’t want to be wrong, regardless of their capabilities in the subject. It’s considered normal to stay silent when a teacher or authority figure makes a disagreeable statement. But failing to speak up can do more harm than good.

Worrying about others’ judgments often prevents students from reaching their full potential in the classroom, junior Annie Antonietti said.

“Confidence is a trait that’s discouraged in general, especially being assertive or opinionated in any way,” Antonietti said. “Then, there’s an internal thing where I feel compared to other kids, which is constantly reinforced by the high-achievement at Whitman.”

Students’ aversion to social boldness can persist well after high school. According to the magazine Psychology Today, many of these insecurities persist our entire lives. Thankfully, there are people like Nani Coloretti — a Bethesda mom and President Biden’s nominee for Deputy Director at the Office of Management and Budget — who can share their stories of overcoming adversity to inspire others to aim higher.

When Coloretti attended high school in Hawaii, her AP U.S. History teacher wouldn’t grade any of her assignments above a D. Often she would compare her efforts with other students, yet was unable to determine a substantial difference in the quality of work. From her perspective, it was truly unfair. To add insult to injury, the teacher eventually kicked her out of the class, pushing her into the on-level U.S. history class.

However, Coloretti was passionate about U.S. history and had a determination to excel. She was confident, despite the teacher’s dismissal of her satisfactory work, in her own abilities. Coloretti proved herself right when she ultimately took the AP exam that spring, despite her incompletion of the AP course, and earned a five.

“Being in a place where you can feel you can speak up is the first step in actually speaking up,” Coloretti said. “Under what circumstance is self-advocacy warranted or needed, and when do you need to try another path in order to reach your goal, whatever your goal might be?”

by s Eliana Joftu

“The Confidence Code,” a book written by BBC anchor Katty Kay and Good Morning America correspondent Claire Shipman, explores how men almost always have higher levels of confidence than women, even when women demonstrate equivalent or even higher levels of talent. Additionally, women are statistically more prone to avoid risk taking, such as speaking up in group conversations or pitching their ideas.

“As girls, we’re held to impossibly high standards that we physically can’t live up to and spend our whole lives trying to reach them,” Antonietti said. “We end up hating ourselves for not being able to say something when we want to. It’s impossible.”

While having easy-going and empathetic characteristics can be valuable, I’ve learned that standing your ground is an important key to self-understanding. If I don’t agree with something my teacher is saying, I make an effort to politely converse with them about it. If one of my friends makes a joke that isn’t right, I set a boundary. If I feel uncomfortable in a situation, I vocalize my frustrations clearly and calmly. After a while, I realized that I didn’t want to walk into every situation worrying if I was taking up space.

“Speak to others who you know can support you and help you understand yourself better,” Coloretti said. “Sometimes it’s going to be important to speak up, but sometimes it’s about picking up the work.”

This isn’t meant to encourage every person in the world to start a fight when someone says or does something that you may not align with, and I wouldn’t want people to insert themselves in situations where it’s inappropriate to voice an opposing viewpoint. Advocating for your beliefs is so much simpler than that: From raising your hand in class to explaining your opinions to a peer or authority figure, you can assert confidence with thoughtfulness and kindness. Confidence also means speaking up in situations where we may feel outnumbered, because those situations may require a dissenting opinion the most.

For everyone who can tell similar stories about the Morah Sarahs of the world, know that your voice and your willpower have the influence to make any difference that you believe in. You just need to find the confidence to share them with the world.

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by SAMIE TRAVIS

Music

2021 saw many feel-good reunions and modern versions of beloved shows return to air, perhaps as a result of a public craving for nostalgia and studio executives’ desire for surefire moneymakers. The new version of “Gossip Girl,” reunion of “Friends,” reboot of “Sex and the City” and movie reprisals of Broadway musicals “In the Heights” and “West Side Story” all made their way to viewers’ screens.

“Sex Education,” a show popular among teens, returned for a third season, and “Squid Game,” a South Korean survival thriller, became Netflix’s most popular title worldwide.

The dystopian series garnered over 111 million viewers in its initial release — the most popular Netflix show debut to date.

Many Marvel projects that had been postponed in 2020 premiered in 2021, from the critically acclaimed “WandaVision” — the first of the Marvel shows to launch on Disney Plus — to the blockbuster “Black Widow.” Marvel Studios experimented in format and introduced new characters like Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, while also taking full advantage of fan favorites like Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

Sophomore Finn Smith, an avid Marvel fan, appreciated the variety and authenticity that these 2021 films offered, he said. “My favorite movie that came out this year would have to be ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’” Smith said.

“I liked the visual effects; the acting was really good, and I just thought all around it was the best thing that Marvel produced this hics by GRAC year.” rap To cap off a slate of nine projects, Marvel gave die-hard fans a holiday

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Movies and TV

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Taylor Swift fans remember “all too well” the releases of “Fearless” and “Red” in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Swift’s previous record label, Big Machine Records, owns the rights to every recording on her albums released before 2019’s “Lover” — that year, Swift announced she would be rerecording and releasing her first six albums in an effort to reclaim her music.

As the owner of Swift’s master recordings, Big Machine Records profited from every sale and stream for much of her work and held the power to license her music for use in TV shows, movies and advertisements — likewise collecting most profits.

With the rerecordings came trademark Swiftian clues, hints and even crossword puzzles to decode the highly anticipated tracklists. For many of her devoted fans, known as Swifties, including junior Zoya Memon, the two-year waiting game for “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” — released on April 9, 2021 — was worth it.

“It’s exciting because I listened to the albums when I was younger, so now I get to experience this whole new era as an older

person, which is like growing up with her,” Memon said. “It’s a big deal to listen to one of your favorite artists have final control over what she wants to do, and what she gets to sell.”

“Red (Taylor’s Version),” which came out on Nov. 12 of last year, broke the record for the most streamed album by a woman in a day in Spotify history, topping the previous record — also held by Swift for her 2020 album “Folklore” — and culminating in over 90.8 million streams. But the excitement wasn’t limited to Spotify: Swift’s short film, “All Too Well,” starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, and the hashtag “SwiftTok,” typically tagged in Taylor Swift-related content on TikTok, both entirely blew up.

Throughout her endeavor to rerecord past albums, Swift continued releasing new music. She received six nominations at the 2021 Grammys and earned the Album of the Year award for “Folklore.” For the 2022 Grammys, which are currently postponed, “Evermore” received a nomination for Album of the Year.

Swift’s pop reign may be far from over, but a new generation of artists made headlines, too. Olivia Rodrigo, a Swiftie herself, exploded overnight with the release of her first single, “driver’s license.” The track broke multiple records, amassing over 17 million global streams and holding the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart for eight consecutive weeks. In May, Rodrigo’s debut studio album “Sour” arrived, capitalizing on tried-and-true themes of teenage heartbreak.

Pop wasn’t the only genre that thrived in 2021. Hip-hop albums like “Certified Lover Boy” by Drake — who dropped out of the 2022 Grammys after essentially claiming the awards carry no value — carved out a corner of the charts. Critics held albums like “Donda”

by Kanye West, “Call Me If You Get Lost” by Tyler, The Creator and “Faces” by Mac Miller in high esteem. Many appreciated the personal lyricism, creativity and complexity showcased in Miller’s intimate album, which details his rise to fame and heightening drug addiction.

There was also a newfound maturity for Tyler, The Creator in “Call Me If You Get Lost,” with Rolling Stone calling it “Tyler’s best effort to date.”

2021 also brought about the long-awaited returns of music industry mainstays: Adele and Lorde both made comebacks after multiple, music-less years with albums “30” and “Solar Power,” respectively.

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2021 was a year of renewed optimism — at least through the lens of pop culture. Society was abuzz as previously-virtual events returned to being in-person, and vaccines boosted public health and morale, evident everywhere from genderbending fashion statements to new music and celebrity news.

From songs that shook the world, like Taylor Swift’s new, 10-minute version of her 2012 track “All Too Well,” to nostalgic TV specials, like “Friends: The Reunion,” 2021 lived up to the high expectations brought by the return of the “roaring twenties.”

gift with “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” released Dec. 17. Tom Holland, who has played the titular character since 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” called the film “a labor of love” that “celebrates three generations of cinema” — a particularly good way to sum it up, given the surprises that the huge film brought audiences. Many saw it as an official end to the theater lull that occurred during the pandemic.

“Spider-Man,” in its two week December run, earned a whopping 557 million dollars domestically and over a billion dollars internationally by the start of the new year.

Fashion The Met Gala returned this year, too, after its postponement in 2020. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Benefit, which fronts a new theme each year, asked the 2021 guests to dress referencing the concept of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” Whether you thought the star-studded guest list brought their style “A” game or failed to live up to the theme, many looks predictably dominated social media feeds. The 2021 Met Gala upheld its extravagant reputation with unique attire like Kim Kardashian’s faceless Balenciaga outfit, which covered her in black from head to toe, and bold getups like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s statement-making dress, emblazoned with the phrase “Tax the Rich.”

In the past year, individuals used fashion to send bold and innovative messages. Billie Eilish’s British Vogue cover photo pictured her in a feminine, tight-fitting look, a clear departure from her standard baggy clothing and streetwear aesthetic. In the article, Eilish rejected patriarchal beauty standards by telling readers that “it’s all about what makes you feel good.”

Harry Styles’ American Vogue cover had similar, compelling effects.

The cover, which featured Styles donning a flowing dress in a dreamlike fieldscape, sparked debates and made headlines, highlighting societal issues around gender norms and toxic mascul i n i t y.

Responding to the cover, American conservative author and activist Can-

dace Owens called on the world to “Bring back manly men” via Twitter, but Styles quickly responded to the sharp rebuke, sarcastically posting a photo to Instagram from the Vogue shoot, with a caption ironically restating Owens’ same words.

Although Styles is certainly not the first man in recent pop culture history to publicly reject traditional gender norms — stars like Billy Porter and Jaden Smith also commonly challenge these standards — he is the first to do so on the cover of Vogue, and the first man to appear alone on the cover of American Vogue.

Freshman Cleo Schulman believes the cover is especially important because of Styles’ younger, impressionable audience, she said.

“The cover and magazine spread address a lot of the norms that are usually present in today’s society for men, like how they have to be emotionless and ‘manly,’” Schulman said. “I think that it helps end the stereotype and stigma around men expressing emotion and feelings, but through the art of fashion.”

On a different note, nostalgia for a seemingly simpler time, when flip phones were the norm and MySpace dominated the social media scene, set off a modern return to 2000’s staple fashion pieces. With Juicy Couture tracksuits and low-rise denim officially back in style, 2021 revived Y2K fashion. Named after the computer bug that threatened to spoil the joy of the new millennium, Y2K now also refers to the rebirth of clothing trends that originated in the 90s and early 2000s, blending the pop culture and technological worlds of the era with its fashion sensibilities. Figures like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Beyoncé pioneered the original styles with baby tees, mini skirts and bedazzled tracksuits. Y2K’s rebirth can be attributed to Gen Z-ers’ infatuation with the style, as seen through social media.

This year also marked the passing of acclaimed fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh. The artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s wear and founder of Off-White died at 41 after a two-year battle with cancer. During his lifetime, Abloh revolutionized streetwear design and made a mark on the world as a Black designer in a historically white, European industry.

spend her own money. Fans gathered to celebrate outside of the downtown Los Angeles courthouse where judges declared her liberation.

With Spears’ legal battle came lengthy discussions about mental health. Pressure that stemmed from the constant position in the public eye contributed to many stars’ decision to prioritize their own wellbeing.

At the height of the 2021 Summer Olympics, four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles dropped out of the team Olympic gymnastics final, citing mental health issues and “the twisties,” a dangerous phenomenon where gymnasts lose their awareness and orientation in the air. Tennis star Naomi Osaka made a similar decision at the French Open, announcing that she wouldn’t conduct her mandatory media assignments, later pulling out of the tournament entirely due to mental health concerns.

This wouldn’t be a proper pop culture recap without another mention of the Kardashians: Along with the finale of their show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” 2021 marked the end of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s six-year marriage. “Kimye” announced that they would be filing for divorce on Feb. 19, 2021. Kim then “rebounded” with Pete Davidson, SNL cast member and wooer of many high-profile celebrities — prompting many to ask the question, “What is it about that guy?”

Celebrity ships were plentiful. “Bennifer,” featuring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, was back and better than ever, while “Tomdaya,” consisting of Tom Holland and Zendaya Coleman, fans rejoiced at the Spiderman duo’s long-awaited acknowledgment of their relationship. Some partnerships were less predictable, for instance Kourtney Kardashian’s engagement to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, or actress Megan Fox and rapper Machine Gun Kelly’s pairing — and subsequent successful proposal.

Celebrities Since 2008, Britney Spears fans have passionately protested to “free Britney” from the conservatorship placed upon her by her father, Jamie Spears. Britney’s conservatorship gave her father complete control over her estate and financial affairs, as well as her personal life and medical decisions for the past 13 years. Documentaries such as Netflix’s “Britney vs Spears” and The New York Times’ “Framing Britney Spears” detailed her harsh portrayal by media outlets, her deteriorating mental state that came as a result and her legal battle for freedom. After 13 years, a California judge dissolved the conservatorship on Nov. 12. This new freedom granted Spears the ability to make her own medical decisions, sign her own contracts and

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Politicians didn’t escape the pop culture headlines, either. At President Joe Biden’s inauguration, a photograph of Senator Bernie Sanders, sitting cross-legged and sporting brown patterned mittens, became a viral internet meme overnight. Sanders’ picture was printed onto mugs and clothing and even photoshopped into other pictures. One meme depicted Sanders sitting on the Iron Throne from the popular TV show “Game of Thrones,” while another transported him to a seat in the middle of a roller coaster ride. As the photo gained popularity, the scene was also tattooed onto one too many people’s arms.

On March 7, 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey in an explosive interview, disclosing the reasons as to why they stepped down as active royals to start a new life in Los Angeles. The interviewees discussed the mistreatment of Markle and her son, Archie. Markle detailed how the royal family, or the “firm,” had denied the baby a royal title, allegedly because of his skin color. Despite the apparent rift between members of the royal family, Prince Harry maintains that he still has a close relationship with his grandmother, the Queen. He later attended the April funeral of his grandfather, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. The prince, born into Greek and Danish royal families, was the longest-serving royal consort in history.

Social Media Let’s talk about TikTok: the app that started countless trends this year and mastered the art of keeping its users interested for hours.

Videos sharing “hacks,” which are helpful daily tips, and trending sounds such as “I understood the assignment,” which poke fun at users’ own quirks or show off their accomplishments, showcase just a sliver of TikTok’s endless variety of media available for consumption.

One newly famed TikToker, Jonathan Graziano, started the “bones or no bones day” trend: Taking a cue from Groundhog Day, Graziano posted his and his fans’ “productivity level” on any given day based on whether his

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13-year-old pet pug Noodle would stand on his own in the morning. If he could, that signified a productive “bones” day. If he fell back to bed, it would be a relaxed “no bones” day.

According to the Forrester Analytics Consumer Technographics U.S. Youth survey, in 2021, 63% of Americans between the ages 12 and 17 used TikTok on a weekly basis. Many teens, including freshman Carter Maury, have become addicted to the app, he said. Despite this, Maury believes it’s added enjoyment to his life.

“TikTok had a positive effect on my life this year because I had a lot of good times on the app,” Maury said. “I like how there can be inside jokes that everyone who uses the app gets. You can have a conversation with someone and bring up something from TikTok, and they know exactly what you’re talking about.”

Activism and Politics Social media not only played a large role in spreading celebrity rumors and new trends, but also made an immense impact in the realm of politics and activism. The Black Lives Matter movement that rose to national prominence in the mid-2010s continued with full momentum into 2021. Junior Sophia VanLowe believes that while social media was a useful tool to mobilize people and spread awareness about different issues, performative activism increased as individuals used advocacy to their own advantage, she said.

“The most prominent thing I’ve noticed this year is that there’s a lot of ignorance,” VanLowe said. “Being black in this area, I was forced to learn about these things early on for my safety, so I think being uneducated right now isn’t really an excuse for ignorance.”

Similarly, the Stop Asian Hate movement arose across the country in solidarity with Asian Americans after physical and verbal attacks occurred against the Asian American Pacific Islander community. The motivation for these hate crimes can be partially attributed to racialized fears caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the virus originated from, but was not specific to, China. Users and allies took to Instagram to spread the hashtag “#StopAAPIHate” and draw attention to the heightened racism in the American climate.

Celebrities also used their media platforms for activism. Olivia Rodrigo visited the White House on July 14, but the purpose of her visit was much more than a photo op in a pink vintage Chanel power suit: Rodrigo was invited to the White House to promote youth vaccination against COVID-19. Her visit included speaking with President Biden and his Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, as well as recording videos to express the importance of vaccination. These videos were posted on the White House’s and Rodrigo’s social media platforms, targeting the teen demographic. And, yes, the suit made its fair share of headlines too.

For Afghan refugees, local organizations ease hardships and provide hope

by LAUREN HEBERLEE 15

In early August of last year, the Rahmani family of nine landed in Washington D.C. — 6,903 miles away from what is now their former home.

With seven children ranging from two to 15 years old in tow, the family took every precaution necessary in order to avoid calling attention to themselves. They left their possessions behind in Wardak, Afghanistan, a province adjacent to Kabul. They refrained from telling relatives of their sudden plans to leave, and they spent almost all of the money they’d saved on plane tickets. In the months since their arrival — possessing a few bags of essential clothing, little money and no English skills — the Rahmanis have worked diligently to build a home in Montgomery County.

In April 2021, President Biden ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan — laying out a prospective timeline to finally end America’s longest war. It would conclude before the end of August, just ahead of the 20-year anniversary of 9/11.

The 2001 attacks are what spurred U.S. invasion into the Middle East and the subsequent War in Afghanistan, meant to fight the Taliban, an Islamic militant group that protected the terrorist organization Al Qaeda.

The Taliban held power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, enforcing strict anti-Western policies and social restrictions, including confining women to their homes and banning female attendance at school. After the Taliban collapsed in December 2001, U.S. troops aimed to assist in establishing a democracy and training Afghan security forces to defend their country from any future Taliban threat.

20 years later, the Taliban are back in power. The impact of the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan was unexpectedly severe — despite military leadership’s predictions that, if anything, it would take months for the Taliban to take control following U.S. withdrawal, the entire country was back in the hands of Taliban militants in a matter of days. When the Taliban invaded the capital of Kabul on Aug. 15, the city fell immediately.

In the two-week period after U.S. withdrawal, approximately 124,000 Afghan civilians fled the country from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. More than 75,000 arrived in the United States, including the Rahmani family, while the rest scattered to more than 40 different countries around the world.

Tens of thousands of Afghans in Kabul and the surrounding provinces frantically scrambled to find flights or escape by crossing Afghanistan’s borders, fearing the return of harsh Taliban policies. Those who had aided the Afghan government and American

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efforts in the previous 20 years assumed the Taliban would target them first. With Taliban fighters filling the streets, citizens, American embassy personnel, U.S. nationals and Special Immigrant Visa recipients left behind their belongings and relatives, risking their safety to leave the country. However, not all who reached the airport were able to escape.

The world watched in horror as Afghans fell from departing planes, died from heat stroke while waiting at the airport and became victims of targeted, Taliban bombings.

As of mid December 2021, 3,700 Afghan refugees have resettled in the Washington, D.C. region since August. Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), the largest resettlement agency in the area, has assisted about half of those Afghan families since July 1.

Due to the overwhelming surge of refugees into the D.C. area, however, state and federal governments have failed to provide the support that Afghan refugees need. While the federal government provides each family with a case manager to help ease their initial transition, these social workers are assigned hundreds of cases, hindering their ability to supply each family with the level of attention required for effective support.

Through the global humanitarian organization International Rescue Committee and eight other national resettlement agencies, refugees can receive temporary housing at no cost, while the federal government’s Refugee Cash Assistance program provides financial assistance to refugees for 90 days.

This initial three-month period, however, is not an adequate time frame for most Afghan refugees to become completely self-sufficient. According to Ariana Lotfi, founder and director of the Immigrant & Refugee Outreach Center (IROC), refugees need a minimum of six months of financial assistance before they can begin to support themselves.

To address this issue, local charitable organizations, such as Homes Not Borders and the IROC, have volunteered to provide additional help.

“We want to make sure that the money and any funds they do have are enough to sustain them for more than three months, because that’s obviously not enough time to learn English, or properly transition into American life,” Lotfi said.

Since its founding in 2019, the IROC has aided over 5,000 individuals in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. The IROC’s services include furnishing homes, providing clothing and household items, mentoring and tutoring.

“We partner with organizations such as Lutheran Social Services, so when they don’t have sufficient resources, they refer their clients to us,” Lotfi said. “There is also a lot of

word of mouth from families that we have built relationships with over the years where they tell other families to reach out to us.”

Homes Not Borders also provides critical assistance to local Afghan refugee families by furnishing houses and offering employment services. The organization furnishes five to seven homes per week across the DMV area with a volunteer team of over 100 individuals. Since the U.S. withdrawal, Homes Not Borders has been busier than ever.

“I think there’s a tendency for people to forget about things when they fall out of the news, but the refugee agencies have been working just as hard today as we were in August and September — things never slowed down for us,” said Homes Not Borders Community Outreach Coordinator, Noah Kluse.

“I think the influx is going to continue, and the U.S. owes it to people to take care of them. It’s just going to be about finding the resources to keep those promises that you’ve been making for 20 plus years.” * * * After speaking with leaders from both Homes Not Borders and the IROC, I requested to be put in contact with an Afghan family in Montgomery County to hear about their journey and life in the United States thus far.

Homes Not Borders Family Services Manager Manizha Azizi, who also works for the IROC as their Director of Strategic Partnerships, answered my request. She suggested I talk to the Rahmani family, who recently resettled in Silver Spring, Maryland, from Wardak, Afghanistan. We planned to meet at the family’s apartment on a Saturday afternoon for an interview, with Azizi’s assistance in translating from Farsi to English. * * * I met Azizi in the parking lot outside the apartment complex. As we waited for someone to let us into the building, Azizi’s phone rang constantly. She explained that the calls were from refugees who sought assistance obtaining food, clothes, housing and jobs.

In the elevator, on our ascent to the eighth floor, Azizi said she tends to give her personal phone number to the families she helps, so they have the opportunity to share it with other refugees who may also be struggling.

Her name and number have continued to circulate months after the last troops had left Afghanistan.

“I’ve never been busier in my life,” Azizi said. “It’s super exhausting. But I tell myself it’s rewarding too, and it keeps me motivated. I wake up, and I want to do it again even though I go to bed at three o’clock in the morning. That’s my day everyday.”

As we walked down the long hallway towards the family’s apartment, I thought

E WIES y MAYA b c i h p a r g

back to the correspondences I’d shared with Azizi prior to this visit. She responded to my emails in the late hours of the night — sometimes around one in the morning. When I asked her just how she manages to help all of these people, she laughed.

“You see their faces. They’re very sweet and have big hearts, and they’re desperate for food or furniture,” Azizi said. “They’re so kind and appreciative it makes all the work worth it.”

We hopped out of the elevator and reached a faded royal blue door down the hall. Azizi knocked. The door swung open.

Two smiling girls, wearing brightly colored hijabs and long printed dresses over matching pants, kindly welcomed us into the apartment. Zohra and Maliha Rahmani, ages 15 and 13, shook my hand, and then promptly gave me a hug, enthusiastically greeting me in Farsi. Azizi had brought the family a box of chocolates; they accepted it while thanking her repeatedly.

We stepped through the door into the living room where the girls offered me and Azizi spots at the couch — the only piece of furniture in the room — while they sat down on the floor in front of us. Across from me was a balcony where the family kept an assortment of toy bikes and tricycles. In front of the balcony doors laid intricately patterned prayer rugs. From my seat on the couch, I could see down a hallway into one of the two bedrooms, containing two sets of bunk beds and a twin mattress on the floor.

At the time, Zohra and Maliha were the only two family members home, but it was clear they had additional siblings.

We began to talk about their journey from Afghanistan to the United States. In the days leading up to the fall of Kabul, their family of nine — consisting of five daughters and two sons — knew that their lives would soon be in jeopardy due to their father’s ties to the U.S. military. The Rahmanis left their extended family and close friends behind in Afghanistan as they fled the country in total secrecy, bringing only a couple bags of clothing with them.

When I asked about the biggest challenge the family has faced since their arrival in the U.S., the girls looked at each other and began laughing hysterically, repeating one word in Farsi over and over again. Then, the girls spoke English for the first time since I’d arrived.

“Mouse. Mouse. I caught mouse,” Maliha said, a beaming smile on her face.

The sisters explained that the LSSNCA originally set up their family in a Prince George’s County apartment where they lived alongside mice for three months. The girls acknowledged that the language barrier has probably been their most substantial difficul-

ty, but they still joked that seeing a mouse for the first time was enough for them to consider returning to the warzone of their former country.

Maliha was talkative and confident in responding to my questions; Zohra was friendly and bubbly. Despite the turmoil of leaving their home, their province and everyone they’d ever known — while simultaneously facing an unknown financial and social future in less than optimal living conditions — the girls were simply grateful to be in the U.S. I asked Maliha and Zohra whether or not their relatives in Afghanistan want to join them in the United States.

“Who doesn’t want to come?” Maliha said.

She turned to her sister.

“They all want to come,” Zohra added.

Last month, Maliha and Zohra both enrolled in Montgomery County Public Schools. Zohra is in ninth grade at Montgomery Blair High School, and Maliha, in eighth grade, attends Eastern Middle School.

Students, teachers and counselors at both Blair and Eastern have been helpful, they said — Zohra’s teachers even walk her from class to class in an effort to help her navigate the school building. The girls have both attended after-school tutoring programs where they participated in activities including basketball and dance.

Schooling in Afghanistan was much different, the sisters said: Girls and boys were kept separate, and there were significantly more boys enrolled than girls. While their father had always emphasized to his five daughters that, in their family, they had no restrictions and should receive the same freedoms and education as boys, many other parents were scared to send their daughters to school, believing the Taliban would target schools with high female enrollment.

“Our father always encouraged us to pursue our interests, and he never prioritized our brothers’ education over ours,” Maliha said. “He never let us doubt our ability to grow up and have a career.”

Learning English is now the girls’ biggest challenge, along with finding opportunities to pray while attending school. Salah, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, are prayers performed by Muslims five times each day at specific times. Frustrated that teachers don’t understand the girls when they tell them they need to pray, Zohra and Maliha hope MCPS will become more lenient about their religious practices due to the new influx of Muslim students. An allotted time and a designated space to pray would be ideal, the sisters said.

“Our teachers aren’t trying to deny us our religion — they just don’t really under-

stand what we are asking,” Zohra said. “It’s very different from the school we went to in Wardak where all the girls would be praying together at the same time.”

Around 20 minutes into our conversation, Zohra and Maliha’s mother returned home with two of their younger siblings, twins around the age of four. Just as we’d been graciously welcomed by Zohra and Maliha, their mother was similarly pleased to have visitors. She brought a bowl of grapes from the kitchen and set them down on the sofa in between me and Azizi, and she repeatedly asked me to join them for a home-cooked meal that evening. Maliha and Zohra’s siblings quickly joined them on the floor, sticking by the girls’ sides and staring at me with curiosity, all while giggling with their sisters.

As I was nearing my last question for the family, their father arrived home from the grocery store with their three other siblings.

After Azizi introduced us, he shared news with her that he’d found a part-time engineering job. While the position isn’t enough to fully cover their expenses, Azizi reassured him that he’s lucky to have found a job this quickly — it’s a starting point that will hopefully lead to a full-time opportunity, she said.

“I am grateful for your help,” Mr. Rahmani said to Azizi. “ I will not let you down.”

Afghan refugees often experience difficulty securing jobs and affordable housing due to language and cultural disparities that complicate adjustment to the U.S. job market, even if they have years of professional experience. Most refugees don’t have access to their required documentation, such as diplomas and paperwork that prove their past education and work experience — a reality that provides an additional barrier to employment. In recent years, governmental red tape has increased the difficulty of obtaining an Employment Authorization Card and a social security number for refugees.

However, according to Azizi, the Rahmani family’s story is happier than most refugee families’ in the area.

“I was actually helping a family the other day who had recently arrived here from Afghanistan,” Azizi said. “They lost their seven-year-old son in the crowds at the Kabul airport and weren’t able to find him, so they had to leave him behind.”

Zohra and Maliha want all of their siblings to be able to finish their education in this country and earn college degrees, they said. In their eyes, now that they’ve made it to America, the opportunities are endless.

“I want to go to medical school and become a physician,” Maliha said.

“Same with me,” Zohra added, to which their five-year-old sister assertively responded in English, “Me too!”

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B&W: Do you think social media promotes and pressures people to fit into a certain standard?

ROUNDTABLE graphic by GABY HODOR

DISCUSSION ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

By LAUREN HEBERLEE and JAMIE FORMAN Today, social media is an integral part of society and a significant influence in teen life. Different forms of media intake — including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok usage — and their wide variety of content have the potential to harm students’ mental and emotional well-being. In a 2018 study from the Pew Research Center, researchers found that 59% of U.S. teens have experienced some form of cyber bullying or online harassment. And with more users than ever sharing extensive content on these platforms, many question the extent to which privacy even exists on the Internet.

We sat down with a panel of students and staff members — some who have been on social media for as little as 10 months and others who have been active for over seven years — to gain insight on the unique and varied effects that social media has on members of the Whitman community.

Participants: Resource Counselor Bill Toth, AP Environmental Science and Biology teacher Mira Chung, junior and Body Positive Alliance Vice President Gaby del Rio, sophomore Mia Scheetz, sophomore Will Mayo, junior Maddie Cartillier and junior Rachel Kebler.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

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Gaby del Rio: I think that social media creates a stigma around specific body types, personalities and features that you need to have in order to be considered beautiful. Young people are really impressionable — especially in middle school — and everyone’s just trying to have the most friends, nicest posts on Instagram and get the most likes. Social media definitely makes that pressure worse. I think it’s easy to compare yourself [to a social media standard] and then get caught up in this spiral of thinking: “I have to change this thing about me to be more desirable on social media and be like my friends.”

That kind of thing also reflects in daily life and with the people that you’re interacting with on a daily basis. Eventually, the pressure all piles on, leading to low self-esteem and, commonly, mental health problems.

Mira Chung: I do think it’s a lot harder for kids to grow up now because it’s hard enough being judged by the people around you, but now you’re being judged by a much larger population. Especially if your social media account is public, all the comments that you see, as much as you try not to think about them, they’re obviously something that you take into consideration. I think social media is also great in terms of all the debunking that people are doing nowadays, where they show what they photoshop, for example. I like following accounts that are honest and show you that what is being portrayed isn’t always reality. I don’t know if it’s an entirely positive thing, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Mia Scheetz: Social media beauty trends can easily lead to an unhealthy spiral. One day it’s freckles and you think to yourself, “Oh girls with freckles are so much prettier.” The next day, the trend is making your eyes look smaller, so people are encouraged to use winged eyeliner on their naturally round eyes. These beauty trends cycle through so quickly, so it’s a constant game of catch-up, trying to change yourself to fit with what’s cool and desirable. It takes a lot of maturity to understand how to be happy with how you were born.

B&W: Since returning to the building for in-person school, have you seen a change in the connection between social media and Whitman culture?

Maddie Cartillier: Social media is definitely continuing to play an increasingly important role in students’ day-to-day lives. There are so many Whitman Instagram accounts circulating now like Whitman affirmations, Whitman outfits, Whitman anti-maskers and Whitman posture, so that definitely shows a connection between Instagram and Whitman. I think there are both positives and negatives to having these accounts.

Will Mayo: I love Whitman affirmations. I think it’s awesome, but some of the accounts I’ve seen, especially the ones posting pictures of people at school, can get a little dangerous.

For example, the posture accounts can have rude captions and some people aren’t looking to have their picture taken and posted on Instagram. It’s a tricky balance between being humorous, offending people and invading privacy.

Chung: I think some kids don’t think about the consequences of what you post on social media. I’ve been posted on Whitman affirmations multiple times. Sometimes I think it’s funny, but sometimes I don’t understand the logic behind what they’re posting. I can’t confront the person and talk to them about the problem because there’s a shield of anonymity that a lot of kids and adults stand behind. I feel that bullying has been taken to an extreme with social media, especially in high school. It’s hard as a teacher to navigate social media and talk with students about it, since it’s not happening in front of me.

B&W: What are your thoughts on cancel culture? Has cancel culture extended outside of social media and into the Whitman community?

Cartillier: There’s so much gray area around cancel culture because, yes, people should be held accountable, but there’s a lot of debate about what it means to hold someone accountable. There’s also different degrees of what people get canceled for, and sometimes there are drastic consequences for that person and their future. I’ve also noticed even at school and in our close community how quickly things spread. Someone says or does something, and it’ll be sent to everyone’s phone within an hour. When things are spreading that quickly it’s hard to tell what the facts are. Then things can get out of hand when people start weighing in with their opinions on what they think should happen to the person.

Mayo: I think there are definitely cases at Whitman where something happens at school and everyone is trying to figure out the details of who was involved and what exactly occurred, and that opens up the possibility for things to get blown out of proportion. People hear about it from a friend of a friend of a friend, and it goes through the whole grapevine. Most of the time I feel people don’t really know how the original issue started. This is the really dangerous aspect of cancel culture, where we can essentially start bullying and isolating people for an issue we don’t have all of the information on.

Rachel Kebler: I’ve got mixed opinions about it. Some people definitely deserve to be held accountable for their actions. For example, when they’re racist or homophobic online and don’t feel remorse. On the other hand, sometimes it feels so unnecessarily harmful and

seems like we are attacking people for normal mistakes.

B&W: How has social media helped you connect with new communities? You may define community however you like. del Rio: The Body Positivity Alliance has reached out through social media to collaborate with people who are involved with the body positivity movement in different ways.

It’s really nice to meet and connect with people who share the same passions and interests.

Scheetz: I’ve acquired a whole bunch of different hobbies from social media — mostly TikTok. I kept on getting videos about crocheting on my TikTok For You Page, and I decided I wanted to give it a try. I eventually picked it up and it’s something that I really enjoy.

This newfound passion led me to join the Walt Whitman Yarn Club this year. I can easily connect with different influencers online because I see similarities between us, like camping and outdoor activities. I appreciate having platforms where you can find people that help you expand your interests or even find a new one — there’s a community out there for everyone.

B&W: Do you feel that social media threatens privacy?

Mayo: My parents didn’t let me have social media for a long time because of privacy and addiction concerns. I don’t post a lot on Instagram, but when I do, I make sure to keep some aspects of my life hidden, like my location. It’s been drilled into me that I want to keep all of my personal information private from anyone that I don’t know. With Discord, a social media platform that I use, it’s more dangerous because you’re in a group chat with a bunch of people that you likely don’t know. While platforms like Discord make it easy to connect with your friends, they also foster an environment where you feel comfortable with strangers.

Bill Toth: I do want to give students a lot of credit because I think that life is a lot harder being an adolescent now than it used to be. You guys have so many things to juggle — not just with school but with social media and all of its platforms. My daughters used to tell me about “Snap Map,” where you can see exactly where this person is and when they’re active. It seems like nothing is private anymore, and if there is something that you innocently put online, it can easily be interpreted as not right and can be attacked and bullied.

Chung: I was a junior in high school when I got my first social media account on MySpace.

At that time, social media and instant messenger was just becoming a thing, so there was no parent awareness of “you should be careful” because there weren’t as many trolls or catfishers. Thinking in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have shared as much on social media when I was that age. What may have felt a little

innocent back then doesn’t feel so much now.

I wish that there were more education for all of us on how to navigate social media, not just what you see on TikTok. Not everything is cut and dry.

B&W: Is there anything you wish you could tell your past self who was downloading social media for the first time?

Mayo: I didn’t download social media until high school, and I wish I’d downloaded it at a younger age. I would’ve been able to keep in touch with a lot of people from middle school that I don’t get to talk to as much anymore.

I think that’s one of the positive sides to social media where it’s a way to keep up with old friends’ lives. There are two sides though.

Not having social media for so long, I trained myself not to care about other people’s activity on social media and how they may view my accounts. I grew up with all my peers caring so much [about social media], and me — being the polar opposite — not caring at all. I didn’t really know everything that was happening, so I didn’t think about what I was missing.

Cartillier: I still struggle with this, but I’ve learned to not compare myself with everyone else on social media. Especially when you first get social media, it’s natural for you to look at everyone else’s posts and compare yourself to their looks, life, what they’re wearing and the amount of comments and likes. I just wish I knew that what people post on social media is not their entire life, and you shouldn’t feel bad about yourself because of that. This is something that I’m struggling with a lot, but I constantly remind myself of this when I spend time on those apps to avoid getting stuck in a pattern of negative self esteem. del Rio: Acknowledging that social media is a highlight reel and everything you’re seeing is what people choose to show you is so important. You’re showing people the pictures that you look best in and you’re posting the TikToks that you think are the funniest, and it’s important to remember that you’re not the only one who’s struggling with self-esteem. Looking back, I would encourage downloading social media a little bit later in life. In a sense, social media makes you grow up faster, with all of the mature topics that you’re exposed to and the different people that you meet. I got it around fifth grade and I think that I probably would’ve enjoyed my middle school experience more if I stayed off of social media till I was around 12 or 13 years old.

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by IMAN ILIAS

tudents from more than 160 countries call Montgomery County home. From Amharic to Korean, residents speak more than 150 languages in our county. Students go home each day to enjoy different cultural dishes around the dinner table, delight in all kinds of music and discuss their lives in their native languages.

Montgomery County Public Schools prides itself on having learners from all corners of the world thriving in their community while sharing their cultural customs with one another. With a large international presence, the program English for Speakers of Other Languages — more commonly known as ESOL — has, for decades, served as a place for non-native students to learn the English language skills they need to be academically successful, communicate with their peers and weave into the fabric of our community.

While ESOL has equipped many international students with the skills they need to prosper, the international student body has voiced serious concerns about the program — among them, the inadequate assessment measures used to graduate students, the critical lack of funding and the absence of mental health resources. If MCPS wants to properly fulfill the ESOL program’s purpose and ensure that it continues to succeed as a supportive multicultural environment, it’s crucial that schools and county legislators address these issues immediately.

One glaring problem, for instance, is that the metrics for evaluating continued instruction in the ESOL program don’t accurately convey mastery of the English language — which is meant to be the purpose of the program.

The single data point responsible for assessing if a student graduates from ESOL, or must continue with the program, is the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State (ACCESS) test. Students must score below a 5.0 out of a scale of 6.0 to qualify for continuation in the ESOL program, and exam writers each year change only a third of the content. It’s extremely easy for students to significantly improve their scores from year to year without extenROKHINA DO sive improvement in English TH proficiency — test takers often recognize the exact same, repeated questions. Moreover, the passing threshold for the ACCESS test is remarkably low; the most challenging

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reading on the high school level test has an eighth grade equivalency level.

Perhaps the most detrimental aspect of the test is that once a student has scored a 5.0 once, they’re no longer permitted to continue in the ESOL program. This rule holds true even if the student’s teachers and counselors believe that they aren’t adequately prepared for other classrooms. Leaving the ESOL program prematurely deprives students of crucial resources like additional support in non-language-based classes including biology, history and algebra — in which the student to teacher ratio is significantly better than in regular classes —

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Leaving the ESOL program prematurely deprives students of crucial resources. as well as stripping students of bilingual dictionaries and the necessary extended time during assessments to process and translate.

Many teachers and specialists — including the creators of the ACCESS test — agree that using one factor to make any critical decision regarding a student’s educational future is unwise. While a student’s performance on the ACCESS exam is certainly an important data point to consider when deciding their eligibility to continue in the ESOL program, it’s crucial that educators take into account the student’s language proficiency in daily classroom activities, tasks and interactions.

Sometimes the problem is the opposite: Some ESOL students feel as if they need more immersion in regular English instruction.

“As an ESOL student in elementary school, it might not have been beneficial to have been pulled out of a regular class to go to ESOL, since I was then put behind in that subject, and it was difficult to catch up,” senior Noa Kamiya said.

In 2019, a county data report revealed that ESOL students performed poorer on standard-

ized tests such as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) when compared to their non-ESOL counterparts. The inadequacy in these students’ performance often leads to discontentment with school and inhibits them from reaping the benefits of a robust education — a kind of “snowballing” effect. This reality is reflected in the dropout rate among ESOL students: 36.3% as of the end of 2019, over ten times the rate for non-ESOL students, which is 3.6%.

In addition to the disproportionate danger of academic disengagement, it can be difficult for ESOL students to find the counseling resources they need in a language native to them. Students who struggle with mental health, have experienced traumatic events or simply need someone to assist in navigating a new school are often disadvantaged due to limited or nonexistent specialists with the skills to communicate in the student’s native tongue.

While local nonprofit organizations do provide counselors who speak foreign languages, these resources aren’t widely available for students, and schools in MCPS should make a point to hire those professionals based on the school’s specific ESOL demographics. County wide, there is a large Spanish-speaking demographic in the ESOL program — 13.3% as of the 20192020 school year — but Clarksburg Elementary School, for example, has a significant Asian demographic as of the same school year. Hiring mental health professionals who are proficient in the diverse languages within each school in the county would properly meet students’ mental and emotional needs. After all, these students are some of the most in need of mental health support as they can often feel isolated in their new environment.

While the ESOL program nobly aims to equip students with the language skills necessary to flourish in mainstream English classes, certain aspects of the program are in dire need of reform or added support. From adjusting how MCPS graduates students from the program to fixing the funding gaps, it’s crucial that the county makes adjustments to fulfill ESOL’s mission to aid international students in transitioning smoothly into American schools. If we follow through, MCPS will truly be the vibrant, multicultural community it seeks to be.

Remembering huge-hearted Whitman student

I

TOP TO BOTTOM: Lee snaps a picture on a family trip to LA; Lee celebrates a birthday dinner with family and friends; Lee poses for a backto-school pic; Lee relaxes on the couch with the Hortons’ Labrador retriever, Atticus.

Photos courtesy IMAN ILIAS.

by IMAN ILIAS

met Lee Horton in sixth grade. Scared about entering the large, daunting jungle known as middle school, I nervously took my seat in Mrs. Goldstein’s first period science class. Seated next to me was a curlyhaired boy with observant green eyes. He looked a bit apprehensive as well, but at the same time, the air about him revealed a sort of self-assurance and poise. I tapped him on the shoulder and extended my hand, introducing myself. Firmly shaking it, he looked directly at me, his gaze unfaltering.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee.” Over elephant-toothpaste science experiments and jokes about Vanna White’s plastic smile, slowly but surely, Lee and I became friends. He was always reliable and true to his word. He treated everyone with the utmost respect — there were no bounds to his friendship.

It’s a cruel reality of the world that tragedy can strike the best people. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee began to experience epileptic seizures, leaving him greatly weakened. He was unable to recover from one of these traumatic instances, and suddenly passed away on July 10, 2021, only one day after his 18th birthday.

Throughout our “tweenage” middle school years, Lee was always there to make me laugh at lunchtime when I needed a midday pick-me-up, but he was also more than willing to talk about any serious matters I needed, or just wanted, to discuss. He was the most intellectually curious person I’d ever met — when our group of friends convened in my basement to watch old movies and eat pizza, Lee’s first action was to walk to my bookshelf and pick out books on theology, politics and culture. He was constantly asking questions, both inside and outside the classroom, and had an insatiable curiosity to find their answers. Personally, what most impressed me about Lee was his tendency to be intensely principled, and his capabilities to be wise beyond his years. Lee was the first person I’ve known to actually stand up for a friend he saw being bullied and to call out any and all discrimination.

Some of my fondest memories with Lee were formed at his birthday parties. At his house, all of our friends would congregate in the basement, and Lee would plug in his electric guitar and play a series of songs as we watched in awe. I’ll never forget the concentration on his face when he plucked at the strings. Lee was fully engrossed in his art, and just one look showed that playing guitar transported him to a different world.

A part of Lee’s personality that I — and so many of the people who knew him — will always giggle about in remembrance was his witty sense of humor. On the drive home from a friend’s birthday party, as Lee’s parents and I discussed the futility of middle school health class, Lee remarked, “You know, there should really be a rockand-roll unit in health class.” Perplexed, we asked why.

“Because then, it’d be the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll course!” We all erupted into laughter.

Despite Lee’s humor, he was also unflinchingly serious about the issues he cared about. Lee was restless about righting the wrongs he saw around him. Every type of social ill captivated his attention, from gender inequality to racial profiling to climate change. Lee was outraged over marginalization and the deprivation of opportunities

Lee Horton

due to race, gender and religion, and he planned on dedicating his life to fighting inequality.

I can say with absolute certainty that Lee Horton is one of the only people I’ve encountered in my life who I can call a true friend. And although I’ve lost this friend, who has made an unforgettable mark on my life, the Whitman community has lost a member who demonstrated passion, empathy, moral strength and resilience right to the end. Community members who knew Lee well have shared their recollections to honor his memory and highlight the numerous lives he touched.

“Lee was my best friend throughout middle school.

When I heard the news, honestly I felt numb. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I guess I thought this wasn’t the Lee I knew and perhaps someone else. He was always there for me like a true friend, and I can never forget about him. He would want me to do good and so much more. He would’ve been the best guitarist anyone would’ve ever known. I love you Lee Horton, like a true friend.”

- senior Emil Issagholian “I remember Lee being there for my birthday party in eighth grade, and it brought me such joy that he was there. He was a very quiet person, but he had a lot on his mind, and when he spoke, he spoke volumes. He didn’t speak a lot, but when he did, it meant a lot. His raw honesty always made me crack up. He was such an old soul and was already grown up.”

- Magdalena Castro, classmate from Pyle Middle School “Lee was such a kind-hearted individual. He always came with a smile and was always very polite. He was very respectful, and he was such an old soul. What he liked to talk about is not typically what you would hear from students here. It was so nice getting to know him. He always had such a positive presence when he came into my room. He was bright-eyed, receptive and open-minded.”

- Olga Soukas, Whitman Counselor “I distinctly remember Lee from lunch. He was always there listening and sometimes giving some input. I remember him laughing uncontrollably after I shared a summary of ‘Frozen 2’ — with much profanity — with him. He had a very kind disposition towards his friends and good intentions towards everybody. He may not have been in a good place personally, but he was always there to be present for other people.”

- senior Alexis Razlog To work towards achieving Lee’s vision of equality and justice for all, please consider donating to the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, D.C.’s largest and oldest civil legal services organization whose mission Lee was fully invested in. The Legal Aid Society is committed to addressing a wide range of law issues and providing representation to marginalized clients. photo collage by ELIZABETH DOROKHINA

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WHITMAN’S WRESTLERS WORK TO CO M B AT T H E SP O R T ’ S DA N G E RO U S T E N D E N C I E S

by DAVID LE WIS Any wrestler, from the rookie to the experienced professional, is familiar with the importance of the scale. A slight shift in pounds, or even just ounces, can have dramatic consequences within the sport — impacting an athlete’s performance or changing their weight class.

To wrestlers, numbers truly are everything; those numbers, however, have the potential to harm an athlete’s wellbeing just as much as they can aid them in reaching their goals.

Wrestling, unlike most other high school sports, separates competitors by a sensitive and volatile measurement: bodyweight. Wrestlers divide into weight classes, groups that determine who they compete against, and given the field, how likely they are to win.

Before the season begins, most wrestlers, specifically inexperienced new members or underclassmen, aren’t operating at their maximum physical capabilities, said Derek Manon, the head coach of Whitman’s wrestling team. As they begin training during the preseason, teams often expect wrestlers to achieve the perfect balance of weight and strength that yields an ideal performance on the mat come match day.

However, this transformation takes place in a short period of time — wrestling preseason sometimes lasts mere weeks — and like other coaches today, Manon carefully advises his team about their weight even at the beginning of the season.

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“THERE’S AN EXPECTATION TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT BALANCE OF WEIGHT AND STRENGTH THAT YIELDS THE IDEAL PERFORMANCE ON THE MAT.” a gr

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“The younger kids who are a little bit more out of shape are going to lose more body fat quicker,” Manon said. “Whereas some of the older guys come into the season with a very low body fat percentage because they already know how to work out in the offseason.”

One dangerous practice the team avoids is “cutting,” Manon said.

In the wrestling world, weight cutting refers to the often extreme strategy of dropping a weight class quickly.

The practice involves restricting the body’s normal food and water intake, burning extra fat, and rapidly losing water weight through excessive sweating or other means — all in a short period of time, which might last only a few days. A 2019 National Institute of Health (NIH) study, on the state of weight cutting in combat sports, found that weight cutting has many consequences, including short and longterm brain damage, development of disordered eating and energy deprivation.

Extreme cutting became a public phenomenon in the late 1980s — during that era, it wasn’t unheard of for a wrestler to exercise and fast for a 20-pound loss overnight.

Bethesda pediatric nutritionist Dana Monsees has seen how this rapid weight loss affects those who participate in body-conscious sports, she said. Whether it’s in wrestling or swimming, disordered eating and other dangerous habits may appear with regularity.

“The quicker [weight loss] happens, and the more drastic it is, the more drastic of an effect it’s going to have on the body,” Monsees said.

The effect of weight cutting will also change based on the wrestler’s current weight; heavier wrestlers have the ability to shed a handful of pounds more easily.

The public face of weight management in today’s wrestling landscape is decidedly different from what it once was. In the last few decades, as society and medicine have progressed to recognize and counter eating disorders and mental health struggles, many doctors, coaches and wrestlers, including those at Whitman, have become outspoken about stopping or minimizing weight cutting.

“We monitor the wrestlers’ weights before and after practice, and that’s really the only place we can see numbers that may tell us what the wrestler is doing,” Manon said. “Outside of practice, we try as hard as we can as coaches to focus on gradual weight reduction to maintain a healthier body.”

Many organizations have instituted restrictions to counter athletes’ efforts to lose an excessive or dangerous amount of weight.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) enforces a policy that limits athletes to a maximum loss of one and a half percent body fat per week. MCPS, too, has a specific weight certification process. At the beginning of the year, wrestlers must go through a multistep physical with medical professionals who record each wrestler’s current height, weight and body fat percentage.

Using these metrics, the medical professionals then inform the wrestlers what their

weight would be if they reached the minimum body fat percentage cutoff — 7% for boys and 12% for girls. That prediction is the lowest they’re permitted to weigh during that season, Manon said.

“The second step that they have to follow, and that we monitor as coaches, is they’re only allowed to lose one and a half percent of their body weight per week if they are trying to go down a weight class,” Manon said, in accordance with NCAA policy.

The weight certification process has curbed the practice of cutting within the sport, senior captain Peter Li said. Weight certification ensures that athletes know and abide by the limits of their bodies, placing a safety net for wrestlers to prevent a freefall into detrimental weight cutting habits.

most part, when we talk about cutting weight on the wrestling team, it’s just losing water weight.”

In addition to adhering to the weight-certification program, Manon attempts to create a healthy environment through team discussions.

“We talk a lot about eating healthy and drinking plenty of water,” Manon said. “Some kids don’t pay attention to that and eat whatever is convenient for them. This just makes it harder for them come match day. It isn’t necessary to lose weight as long as wrestlers keep up healthy habits.”

However, when athletes are down to the last few ounces, a last-ditch response is to resort to a hail mary water weight-loss method, going so far as to spit into an empty cup throughout the day before their scheduled

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO BALANCE ANY WEIGHT-CUTTING EFFORTS WITH STRENGTH.” However, the risks some Whitman wrestlers take continue to mirror the historical dangers of the sport.

“One wrestler [on my team] had to cut five or six pounds, but he was already down under 125 pounds which meant it was a higher percentage of his body weight,” one anonymous Whitman wrestler said. “He was completely energy-deprived, felt weak and was in a bad mood all day. He had very minimal calorie intake over the course of a weekend and couldn’t eat anything until after weigh-ins.”

A focus on losing weight over a longer period of time — rather than attempting to rapidly shed pounds — is a central lesson Whitman’s and many other wrestling coaches stress to their athletes. In a more controlled, gradual manner, it’s easier for the wrestlers to self-evaluate any side effects they experience, coaches say.

“We don’t ask a kid to get to a certain weight by a certain time,” Manon said. “That’s just unhealthy.”

The wrestlers tend to weigh themselves before and after practice as well as at home after their own personal workouts to continuously monitor their weight fluctuation, junior Conrad Randall said. However, for some wrestlers, fluctuation isn’t executed by losing pure body mass.

“It’s not about losing fat or actual weight, it’s just weighing lighter on the scale,” Li said.

“You’re just trying to lose water. I just drink less water on the day of weigh-ins than I usually do.”

When a wrestler wants to reduce their weight by about three pounds or less they’ll often work out in a sweatshirt and sweatpants to sweat out water weight, Li said.

“If it’s really affecting you poorly, you can choose not to,” Li said. “I was trying to eat healthy at the beginning of the season, work out a little more, that kind of thing. I got my weight down by a couple of pounds, but for the

weigh-ins. This can cause the wrestler to lose fractions of a pound ahead of the weigh-in, yet can also result in extreme dehydration.

“You can lose up to a minimum of 30% of your energy output and athletic capacity, just for being dehydrated alone,” Monsees said.

While shedding pounds is a big focus for some wrestlers, for others, the issue is putting on weight — a concern that receives less attention within wrestling culture. An anonymous Whitman wrestler said that, this season, they had to drink two pounds of water the day of the match to be eligible for the weight class they were expected to wrestle within.

“I almost threw up before weigh-ins due to the amount of liquid I had forced myself to drink,” the wrestler said.

Randall, who wrestles at one of the lowest weight classes, at 106 pounds, often finds that his lower weight has athletic drawbacks.

“When you’re underweight, you can be at a disadvantage sometimes because the people you’re wrestling are heavier than you,” Randall said. “That isn’t good if you want an edge in the competition.”

Every wrestler has a different experience with weight management, but Li encourages wrestlers to double-check their own actions every time they attempt to gain or lose weight and maintain normal and healthy habits, in both competition and offseason.

“It’s important to balance any weight-cutting efforts with strength,” Li said. “Because the chance of negatively affecting your performance on match day is very real. … Weight isn’t something that should be manipulated, but wrestling has safety nets in place to catch any dangerous freefall we may put ourselves in.”

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Motivation for conservation:

Junior Luke Wales trains as a park ranger in Grand Teton National Park

J

ackson Hole, Wyoming, is no hole-inthe-wall destination. At least, not to junior Luke Wales.

As Wales starts his day, endless blue skies and a breathtaking mountain view greet him. Walking on the Death Canyon Trail at 7 a.m., he looks up, admiring the jagged mountain peaks of Grand Teton National Park, his residence for the next 10 weeks. Wales has come to love this early morning routine — a stark contrast from suburban life in Bethesda.

In the summer of 2021, Wales participated in the Youth Conservation Program of the Grand Teton National Park Service. The National Park Service (NPS) created the program in order to inspire younger generations to conserve the historical and environmental resources of national parks across the United States.

For 10 weeks, teenangers aged 16 through 19 years old train in habitat preservation, trail maintenance and park construction projects. The participants also attend weekly seminars hosted by

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by Stephanie Solomon

environmental professionals, including biologists specializing in the migration patterns of moose and elk.

Wales’ grandmother, who lives in a small town on the perimeter of Jackson Hole, was the first person to introduce the program to her grandson, suggesting that he live with her for the summer if accepted. Wales was hesitant at first, he said, but ultimately applied out of fondness for the area.

“As a kid, I would visit Wyoming every summer, so I really loved the place,” he said.

“It’s kind of like my second home, so I just wanted to give back to it.”

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the NPS only accepted 10 teens for the program in 2021, slimming Wales’ chances of acceptance. The application process entailed multiple short essays describing personal strengths and interest in the program, along with a letter of reference.

Participants had to have access to housing and commit to working the entire 10 weeks.

The program functioned at a higher intensity than Wales expected, sometimes entailing up to 15-mile hikes across rocky terrain each day. The first thing he noticed, he said, was the change in altitude. The highest peak of a Grand Teton mountain has an altitude of 13,775 feet — unlike the 318 foot elevation of Bethesda Wales was accustomed to.

“I realized I was totally

unprepared,” Wales said. “It was my first job ever, the first thing I was getting paid for. You had to wear a uniform, and the pants made it super difficult because there was a heat wave.

And it was tough labor.”

Every weekday at 6 a.m., Wales and the nine other teenagers selected for the program convened on the grounds of the park. Once everyone arrived, mandatory stretching to prevent injury began. The trail crew leaders would then detail the group’s daily plans, which could range from trail maintenance to bridge-building, Wales said.

On maintenance days, Wales would hop into a run-down van loaded up with tools, grasping a dull, silver shovel. With rows of lush pine trees on either side of the dirt road, the crew drove towards their designated trailhead, preparing to work until 5 p.m. Over the span of 11 hours, the group had just three breaks: two 15-minute rest periods and one longer break for lunch.

Under the leadership and guidance of the trail crew, the group hiked up various trails and then worked their way back down, ridding the routes of tripping hazards and clearing out drains to prevent erosion. To ensure that no one became lost in the dense forests, the crew divided themselves into two groups, Wales said.

Once they completed their daily assigned tasks, they were challenged to take on other, more advanced

projects; in Wales’ first week, the group assisted stonemasons in building a bridge, he said.

While trail maintenance allowed Wales to frequently experience the vibrant nature of the national park, the work of the scientific professionals working in Grand Teton was the most fascinating aspect of the program, he said. Every Thursday, the group had the opportunity to shadow the professionals and observe their work.

“I tried to pay attention as much as I could on Thursdays. We worked with practically all the different professionals, like scientists, engineers, people that planned the tourist trips, everyone,” Wales said. “I was just trying to pay attention, see how they got to where they are now.”

As he spent time with the adults that had established their careers around the park, Wales felt inspired, he said, and realized this may be the career path he chooses to follow.

“Before [the program] I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life,” Wales said.

Now, Wales intends to work in Grand Teton again in the summer of 2022, and study nature conservation in college. Once he turns 18, Wales hopes to work on the Grand Teton trail crew, allowing him to live on-site and master the skills necessary to preserve one of the country’s premier national parks.

“The first month that I was there, I didn’t have a positive way of looking at it. I kind of didn’t like it,” Wales said. “And then the second month I really started to love it, and now looking back, I realize how much I miss it, and how much I look forward to it again.”

George McDonald, Chief of Youth Programs for the National Park Service, sees the Youth Conservation Program — first established in 1971 — as a way to provide teenagers with the opportunity to learn about the importance of resource conservation.

Beginning with the founding of

Yellowstone, spanning Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the United States established the National Park system as a means to protect historically significant natural locations under federal jurisdiction. In 1916, the Department of the Interior created the NPS, and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) emerged shortly after in 1919, as a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the sites.

Kyle Hart, a representative from the NPCA, believes that national parks are critical to telling the “American story,” citing their historic aspects along with their abundance of cultural and environmental resources.

In efforts to preserve these resources, the NPS received a 1.7 billion dollar grant from Congress in November 2021, allotted to endangered species protection and habitat restoration.

“National parks protect, in perpetuity, some of the most iconic places in the world,” Hart said. “It’s important that we as a nation recognize that some sites should remain that way forever, and the NPS makes that happen.”

To develop widespread enthusiasm for the beauty and nature that national parks offer, it’s important that people are exposed to our nation’s treasures early in life, McDonald said.

“For some of them it’s the first job they’ve ever had, and they acquire those basic skills about what it takes to be a good employee, but also about our environment and why it’s important to preserve and conserve our nation’s natural and cultural resources,” he said.

“Hopefully, that leads to a lifelong dedication to protecting these places.”

Although D.C. is a far cry from the rugged mountains or sloping foothills of Wyoming, there are still opportunities to continue conservation efforts locally, McDonald said.

In a partnership with the Service Conservation Corps, the NPS recruits teens to partake in projects at Rock Creek Park. A current project, for instance, is regenerating trails to increase accessibility for those with disabilities.

As most of the teens participating in the program were locals to the area, Wales received his fair share of taunting for being a “city boy.”

Instead of feeling discouraged because of his suburban upbringing, Wales felt

determined to accomplish every task.

“Working with the other kids definitely built a better work ethic for me. It kind of taught me to work with people a little bit better because the only teamwork that I really established before then was through sports,” Wales said. “I remember like the first time we tried to build a fence, it just failed miserably. But, working together, we eventually figured it out.”

One of these co-workers stood out to Wales in particular: Eli, Wyoming born and raised, with intentions to become a firefighter.

In efforts to prove himself to other program participants while simultaneously creating a bond with them, Wales took part in competitions, mostly against Eli. These contests included attempts to compile the boulders necessary for bridge construction. Yet as the co-workers attempted to beat one another by lifting the largest boulder they could find, they soon realized that team effort was the only option, Wales said. “[The program] definitely humbled me in some scenarios, because there were a lot of tasks I thought I could do by myself that proved to be amazingly hard,” he said. “We lost our sanity trying to roll that rock up.”

Wales hasn’t forgotten the peers and specialists he met last summer, but to him, the biggest reward is the pure experience of the park itself. Grand Teton spans a vast 485 square miles, most of its public trails surrounding either Jenny Lake or Leigh Lake. As Wales made his way from the shore of Jenny Lake’s clear waters to the peak of Grand Teton mountain — the tallest mountain in the park — he passed through fields of blooming wildflowers, transforming into steep woodland as he continued to hike. At his final destination, Wales had a bird’s eye view of the whole park, a reminder of his motivation for conservation: to preserve the beauty that surrounded him.

“It was one of the best feelings ever. When you walk so long just to get somewhere, when you finally get there it feels like a reward,” he said. “The views never cease to amaze me.

Even just hiking I would see all the flowers and it’s so beautiful. It’s got a feeling to it. It’s like no other.”

graphic by EMMA LIN

25

A

Students find a for self expression

by Norah Rothman B

A

t the crack of dawn, senior Sophie Tarlov sits in front of her brightly lit mirror and meticulously applies a vibrant shade of pink eye shadow. Using her favorite Morphe brush, she flares it outwards to create a winged effect. With the swipe of a wand, Tarlov then applies a fresh coat of black mascara. She finishes off the look with a mattifying setting spray — the secret to keeping makeup looking fresh, Tarlov says.

Each morning, she allocates 30 minutes or more, depending on the look’s complexity, to perfect her eye-catching makeup for the school day. Finally, with pink shadow applied, Tarlov is ready to step out the door.

“I base my makeup around how I’m feeling,” Tarlov said. “If my makeup is more crazy, I’m definitely feeling more wild that day.”

For Tarlov and many other students, makeup has opened up a world of creative possibilities to reflect their unique experiences.

As a former competitive dancer, Tarlov first entered the world of makeup early on in her childhood. High-level competitions required Tarlov and other dancers from her company to apply makeup in specific ways — often in coordination with their costumes. At first, Tarlov’s mom did her makeup for her, but as she got older, she began to recognize that makeup offered a distinctive creative outlet.

“When I first started doing makeup, it was strictly competition makeup — I just did whatever my coach told me to,” Tarlov said. “But then I realized that I could do makeup on my own, whenever and however I want. Eventually, it became more than a hobby. It became a passion.”

Tarlov also finds inspiration for her looks in school-spirited events. As a member of

26

Whitman’s wrestling team, Tarlov often sports a face of blue, white and black makeup on match days. It’s not unusual to spot a classic Viking mascot carefully painted above her eye, either.

Tarlov’s favorite makeup looks to create, however, are those that involve special effects.

Often gory in nature, these looks stun with seemingly realistic cuts, bruises and wounds.

The catalyst for venturing into the SFX, or special effects, world, came at age 12 for Tarlov, when she watched the 1990 mini-series “It.” To replicate the image of the clown, Pennywise, Tarlov created a slit-throat effect with red lipstick, eyelash glue and tissues to perfect the frightening look.

“Weird makeup looks are definitely my favorite,” Tarlov said. “I like that special effects looks are not usually seen, so they definitely stand out.”

Makeup provides a much needed artistic escape for former Whitman student Sophie Cashin (‘21), as well. Even now, as a freshman at Coastal Carolina University, Cashin finds the hobby essential to maintaining her mental wellbeing.

“When I’m feeling anxious, doing my makeup is always a good way to calm down,” Cashin said. “A lot of people will destress through drawing or singing, so for me, makeup is just a different type of artistic expression that balances out my interests.”

Cashin began experimenting with makeup in eighth grade, when she received her first makeup palette, the 39-shade James Charles Morphe eyeshadow palette. Since then, Cashin has expanded her makeup artistry and further perfected her craft. Although Cashin enjoyed makeup during her freshman and sophomore years of high school, her love for the hobby

C

(A) Cashin snaps a selfie in her Saint Patrick’s Day makeup, color coordinating her outfit with the festive green look. (B) In photos shared to her Instagram with the caption “spring bliss,” Cashin rocks a bold blue and purple smokey eye. (C) Tarlov gets in the holiday spirit with candy cane inspired eyeshadow — adding in a touch of spunky glitter.

(D) Cashin switches it up from her classic smokey eye with an intricate winged eyeliner. (E) Tarlov dons a face with purple accents under pink lighting for a glowing complexion.

Photos courtesy SOPHIE TARLOV, SOPHIE CASHIN.

E

D

peaked during quarantine. With excess time spent at home, Cashin had the opportunity to dedicate more time to makeup than ever before.

Eventually, she decided to make her art public; in April 2020 she started an Instagram account, @sophsmakeupthings. From Saint Patrick’s Day-themed makeup to eyeliner instructions, Cashin continues to post her striking makeup looks and tutorials on the platform.

Holidays are a main source of inspiration for Cashin’s makeup looks. Her favorite creation was for her 2021 Halloween costume, which featured a painted bat wing on her eyelid — a visual that required extreme precision and patience, Cashin said. Apart from holiday inspiration, Cashin tends to gravitate towards variations of colorful smokey eyes, a makeup technique that blends dark eyeshadow on the top and bottom of the eyelids into a lighter shade to create a gradient effect.

For junior Teddie Frank, makeup provides an opportunity to showcase her identity to those who may not know her personally. In

the same way that people express themselves with jewelry or clothing styles, Frank uses makeup to reveal the unique aspects of her character.

“Makeup allows me to fine-tune how people perceive me,” Frank said. “Based on the style of makeup I’m doing, people can tell a lot about my personality.”

Much of Frank’s day-to-day makeup features heavy blush, false eyelashes and highlighter in the inner corner of her eyes. Frank pulls influence from American celebrities — Nicki Minaj, for instance — and Korean beauty styles.

“I love putting rhinestones under my eyes,” Frank said. “Recently I’ve been loving the look of drawing on subtle eye bags to make my eyes look larger, which is a technique that’s really popular in Korea.”

Makeup is a great equalizer, Tarlov said.

For many wearers, makeup fosters endless possibilities. It’s evolved to uplift people regardless of differences, she said, while simultaneously providing a channel for artistic and self-expression.

“Makeup doesn’t fit one gender or sexuality,” Tarlov said. “It’s such a diverse community that is welcoming to all people.”

Aside from being an important tool to cultivate self-identity, makeup can also give a higher sense of confidence to the wearer, students say. From bright lipstick to winged liner, many feel a unique strength from displaying bold makeup looks.

“I do makeup because it makes me feel powerful,” Cashin said. “It really has improved my confidence, like tenfold.”

Tarlov has seen similar effects; early on in her makeup career, she lacked confidence and struggled with self-love, she said. Tarlov explained that she wore makeup to give her self-assurance — if it looked like she were doing well on the outside, it would feel like she was doing well on the inside.

Over the years, however, both Cashin and Tarlov have come to understand that while makeup can help guide confidence, true confidence must come from within. Confidence develops from an internal place of security in one’s selfworth, expertise and knowledge — something that makeup can enhance, but not build from the ground up, Tarlov said.

“Makeup is a topping to something that is already great — you need to love your canvas before you can love your painting,” Tarlov said. “In this process of self-acceptance, you’re gonna make mistakes, but just like makeup, you can always start over.” photo collage by ELIZABETH DOROKHINA

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‘TEACHERS’ O

WORKING CONDITIONS ARE

STUDENTS’

LEARNING

CONDITIONS’: TEACHERS UNION

ENRAGED

OVER MCPS’ TREATMENT OF STAFF

by SONYA RASHKOVAN

grap h MAY ic by A WIE SE

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n Jan. 13, the Montgomery County Education Association announced that 94% of their members voted “no confidence” in the Board of Education and Interim Superintendent Monifa McKnight’s ability to address the effects of COVID-19 on the county’s education system.

The resolution stated that MCPS failed to enact adequate COVID-19 measures, provide a “reliable and timely testing program” to all students and staff, tackle the educational losses from quarantine absences and communicate their policies “with transparency” to stakeholders, according to an email from the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) President Jennifer Martin, obtained by The Black & White.

“Families and staff are left confused and struggling to adjust to ever-changing and incomplete directives,” Martin wrote in the email. “MCPS leadership has consistently shown a dereliction of duty and a lack of competence.”

The vote came after months of conflict between Montgomery County’s central office and the teachers union, composed of more than 14,000 members.

The MCEA presented class-action grievances in February 2021 to the county’s leadership addressing violations of teachers’ contracts. The grievances, also obtained by The Black & White, claimed that teachers weren’t receiving their “contractually obligated” planning time and 30-minute long lunch period. On Oct. 21, 2021, MCPS rejected the complaints, stating that the problem wasn’t widespread enough to warrant a response.

On Jan. 27, the pressure from the MCEA resulted in MCPS’ agreement to a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the teachers union that undertakes teachers’ concerns about COVID-19 policies, workload and planning time. This agreement updated the existing MOU from October.

English teacher Danielle Fus, an elected faculty representative on the Whitman leadership team and MCEA building representative, said that due to the shortage of substitutes during the pandemic, teachers have been forced to sacrifice their planning periods, which are typically used for grading and preparing, to cover classes.

According to a Black & White survey of anonymous Whitman teachers, nearly 80% of teachers this year have had to cover classes during their planning or lunch periods — a once rare responsibility.

Prior to the updated MOU, substitute teachers earned $57 per class, but teachers in the building received only $15 before taxes for providing class coverage. Now, the new agreement sets out a $55 before-tax flat rate.

One of the primary reasons for the substitute shortage is a lack of eligible substitutes.

Substitutes must meet a certain amount of working hours per semester to remain in the MCPS system, but during virtual learning, many could not fulfill that requirement. This resulted in the MCPS “subsystem” automati-

cally laying off many previously-eligible substitute teachers at the beginning of this school year.

On top of the over 1000 substitute layoffs, many established substitutes didn’t want to continue working due to the possibility of contracting COVID-19, or due to difficulties adjusting to the new technologies used, said substitute teacher and former Whitman staff member Robert Butler.

To support Whitman’s teachers during the sub shortage, the Whitman leadership team implemented a coverage “subsystem” for teachers, allowing them to see when they might be called into covering classes, staff development teacher Anne Chiasson said.

“Something that the teachers are struggling with is finding time just to get things done,” Chiasson said. “I think people appreciate the fact that there is a system now.”

While Fus said she appreciates the leadership team’s “transparent” system, nearly 90% of Whitman teachers have felt uncomfortable taking leave during this school year because of the expectation that a fellow teacher, rather than a substitute teacher, will have to cover their class, according to a The Black & White survey. The updated MOU didn’t address staffing and substitute shortages, although the MCEA said that “discussions are still taking place” with county leadership.

Biology teacher Colleen Roots, the other elected faculty representative on the Whitman leadership team alongside Fus, said that high school teachers’ struggles aren’t as extreme as those of elementary and middle school teachers. While the sub shortage and loss of planning time affects all staff in the county, teachers in elementary and middle schools have a responsibility to supervise their younger students at all times. With a lack of support staff, teachers lose their “contractually required lunch break to help with the students,” she said.

“We’re understaffed across the board in this county: bus drivers, nurses, paraeducators,” Roots said. “There’s been a teacher shortage for a number of years now, and it’s even worse because a lot of people retired during COVID.” Pyle English teacher Kathleen McSkeane, an elected faculty representative on the Pyle leadership team and MCEA building representative, said the sub shortage is an added stress for teachers on top of the difficulties of creating a smooth transition back to in-person learning for their students.

“Instead of recognizing the problem, it seems as though more is being asked of teachers instead of giving them some time in support to complete their duties that they already have,” McSkeane said.

The lack of educators also extends to programs that provide crucial support to students.

With few Special Education teachers and support staff in the hiring pool and an increased workload for case managers, the present teachers are stretching themselves to support students with 504s and IEPs, according to an anonymous Special Education teacher.

“I know there’s a teacher shortage, but

we’re down paraeducators, which are our support people in that department,” the Special Education teacher said. “It kind of blows back on the case managers.”

According to Title 6 of the 2010 Maryland Code Education, it’s illegal for educators to go on strike in Maryland. However, the MCEA members can call to implement the “work to rule” system, which provides that teachers work only within their paid eight hours per day in order to demonstrate to county leadership the degree to which their required work has spilled into unpaid time. When paid working hours end, teachers can refuse to grade papers, communicate with students, participate in voluntary activities and trainings at their school or lead any extracurriculars.

“Eventually, it would catch up to MCPS that we don’t have enough time to do all the work that we are required to do,” Roots said.

Additionally, the contract between the school district and the teachers union mandates that MCPS bargains with the union any time they change the contract, but, historically, MCPS leaders have often failed to communicate with teachers in a timely manner, Roots said.

The MCEA’s concerns over teachers’ working conditions during the pandemic mirror those of other teacher unions nationwide. On Jan. 12, the Chicago Teachers Union voted to approve a COVID-19 safety deal with Chicago Public Schools after a five-day strike forced some of the city’s schools to close.

Teachers there were also prohibited from going on strike, but Chicago Public Schools hasn’t taken any retaliatory action.

The grievances about the contract violations and COVID-19 policy aren’t just teachers complaining about their job, Fus said. They affect students’ lives, too.

“If the conditions are [to] the point where I don’t have materials that I need to teach or to do my job correctly, that negative impact filters down to students,” Fus said. “There’s only so much that a teacher can do as to fill those gaps between what we have, and what is needed by students.”

I’ve never felt so disheartened, anxious and alone at work,” one teacher wrote in the same survey conducted by The Black & White. “I don’t know how much more of my life I can give to this profession, which is saying a lot because this is all I have ever wanted to do.”

Newfound responsibilities and concerns surrounding COVID-19 safety have added to preexisting hardships teachers face, including navigating the county’s curriculum requirements and their own mental health. In the same survey, one teacher said they aren’t able to provide adequate support and resources to their students because they’re overworked and emotionally drained.

“It’s hard to make those two mesh without compromising the quality of the assignment, the quality of the feedback or the depth of the instruction,” the teacher said. “So there’s always this tension between everything.”

This school year, MCPS made the decision to continue employing the 50% rule on assign-

A plurality of teachers reported that grading is the most time-consuming part of their job, according to the same survey. However, one teacher said that having to deal with crises and “thousands of decisions” every day is the most “emotionally taxing” part of teaching.

“The cleanliness of the assignments is the finished product, the last little sliver that covers up miles and miles of chaos that it took to get to that moment,” they said. “So much of teaching now is that you have to figure out creative ways to educate despite the education system, and that’s really tiring.”

While around 70% of teachers felt neutral or supported by the Whitman administrators this school year, others said that they wished for greater support and transparency from the school administration.

“I feel like the administration gives me half-hearted well wishes and, frankly, it only makes me feel more unsupported,” one teacher wrote in the survey. “It’s made worse when their attempt at showing me appreciation feels disingenuine.”

Another teacher acknowledged that teachers at Whitman nevertheless have better conditions compared to other schools.

Altogether, 64.8% of teachers said that MCPS has failed to provide adequate support to them throughout this school year, according to the survey.

The ongoing pandemic and MCPS’ response has caused teachers added stress surrounding their health and COVID-19’s possible long-term effects, one teacher said.

A similar trend appears at the national level. As a result of an increased workload during the pandemic, K-12 public school educators are the public sector workers most likely to suffer from increased levels of anxiety and burnout, an October survey of public sector workers conducted by the MissionSquare Research Institute found.

Nationwide, teacher morale has dropped sharply in the past year. Locally, MCPS has attempted to provide teachers with mindfulness and wellness resources to boost morale, but one of the teachers reported that they haven’t seen anything but a “line at the bottom of an email” from the school system about mental health.

“I think a lot of us feel despair because we don’t think that our struggle is really being respected or supported,” the first teacher said. “Then we hear from people ‘your mental health matters to us.’ How dare you. How dare you say that. It’s hard to cultivate trust in someone who is actively putting stones onto your load.”

“I don’t know how much more of my life I can give to this profession, which is saying a lot because this is all I have ever wanted to do.”

‘The worst year of my career’: Whitman teachers share their struggles during COVID-19 The compounding crises of recent years have had devastating effects not only for students but for teachers as well. The return to in-person learning this year took a toll on the mental wellbeing of educators across the country — all of whom have had to swiftly adapt to new working conditions and an added workload.

“I thought last year was the worst year of my career, but this year is as bad if not worse.

ments students turn in with at least minimal effort. MCPS also set tighter guidelines around the number of Practice/Preparation and All Tasks grades teachers can input, which, according to one teacher, resulted in “grades skyrocketing.” While no teacher wants to see their students suffer, they said, a problem arises when students adopt a “maladjusted understanding of their capability” in a class. The same teacher also said that MCPS intentionally complicated the process of alerting parents to missing work: Not only does an alert come through a gradebook that parents have access to, but in order to finalize the missing grade, teachers have to contact the student’s guardians up to three times. With classes with over 30 students, most teachers often can’t follow through with every student and their guardians, so they opt to give 50% to students with missing assignments.

For a different teacher, virtual learning has diluted the boundaries between work and home. This year, students often expect that their teachers will be available via email at all times, including late at night, they said.

“At times, I do feel like a servant,” the teacher said. “I feel like I’m at the call of not just kids but of the parents, of the administration, of the Board of Education.”

29

LET’S SEE...WHERE WAS I?

by David Rosen

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Complete the puzzle to claim your prize! Details on next page.

Just when you thought The Black & White crossword couldn’t get any harder, retired Whitman math teacher and four-time American Crossword Puzzle Tournament champion David Rosen has supplied our community with The B&W’s latest and greatest puzzle yet! The former New York Times crossword tester has crafted a double puzzle for you to solve: First, solve the crossword in full; second, use the completed grid to find the 13-letter answer to the title of this unique puzzle. Once solved, direct message our Instagram account, @wwwhsblackandwhite, a picture of the completed crossword WITH the highlighted or circled answer to the title. The first 10 people who successfully follows these instructions will receive prizes!

Across 1. Teeny-tiny, quaintly 4. “Hey . . . over here,” quietly 8. Word on an octagonal sign 12. Shakespeare’s Prince Henry V, familiarly 13. Put in an overhead bin, perhaps 14. Encourage 15. Borneo or Madagascar (abbr.)

16. Heavenly ring 17. Extremely worrisome 18. Develop over time 20. It may underlie a schmear 21. Have unpaid debts 22. Tightly coiled do 23. Grandmotherly kerchiefs 27. Money left on a table 30. Border 31. Michelangelo’s medium 32. 10K, for example 33. Cherry or crimson 34. Receptacle 36. Blue, perhaps 37. Mischievous little one 38. Parade part 41. Deadlock 45. It may be picked from your pocket 46. Court jester 47. Eggy holiday quaff 48. Its academy is at West Point 49. Piece in a tackle box 50. Yellowfin, in sushi 51. Look steadily 52. FAQ reader, perhaps 53. Like 1 but not -1 (abbr.)

Down 1. Party of four presidents 2. Relaxation 3. Right-angle pipe bends resembling capital letters 4. Bygone exclamations of contempt 5. Possible future status of D.C. 6. Only 7. Only solution of = 8. Egypt’s southern neighbor 9. An expression in it may begin with sin 10. Fairy tale meanie 11. Utilize a paring knife 19. Talk up 20. Ride On, for instance 22. Babe Ruth’s birthplace 23. Prohibit 24. Figure on a fiver 25. Bro 26. Relatives, collectively 27. Color close to khaki 28. It’s cubed but never squared 29. The “p” of mph 32. Seacrest’s morning co-host 34. Felix, Tom, or Sylvester, in old toons 35. Even more plentiful 36. Woodland god, in Greek myth 38. Wing it?

39. Italian bread no longer produced?

40. “My treat!”

41. Notes that say that one must pay 42. Break suddenly 43. District in New York or London 44. Sponsorship 46. Type of vaccine

31

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