The Churchill Observer - December 2022

Recent antisemitic incidents hit close to home

By Michael Demske Sports Editor

Antisemitism in our nation is not a new development, yet it somehow shocks everyone when it materializes in their communities. The messages represented by swastikas on graves and white, cone-shaped hat-donning protestors are crystal clear. The Jewish people of America and the world can only wait and fear for the day when antisemitism comes by their neighborhood.

In October, the Montgomery County Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution to address and combat antisemitism. Although seen as a stepping stone, the resolution did not prevent the forthcoming attacks. The phrase “WHITE POWER 1488” was seen sandwiched between two swastikas by residents near the Bethesda Trolley Trail. Occurring only a few weeks ago, the antisemitic activity in a location so close to home stunned most of the WCHS community. WCHS senior Bella Zoll is not Jewish, but she cannot help but get emotional observing hateful messages against Jews.

“Living in this area, I am surrounded by Jewish people and most of my friends are Jewish,” Zoll said. “It has been heartbreaking hearing them

talk about the sadness they feel with the antisemitism that surrounds the community.”

While the message of hate might seem foreign, Jewish people in the MCPS and WCHS communities understand it all too well. Students such as WCHS Jewish senior Brandon Gerber were not as shocked.

“The root of antisemitism isn’t something that’s necessarily traceable as it goes back thousands of years,” Gerber said. “It’s continued through different forms over time and changes between how outright it is and how it is otherwise subverted. Wherever it happens, though, everyone notices and does feel a certain setback.”

While not traceable to its origin, modern antisemitic behavior can be linked to a common source. Celebrities from all areas of the entertainment industry have begun showing their true colors, verbally attacking Jews in rapid succession.

“Celebrities can be very antisemitic messages is more harmful than many people realize,” Zoll said. “These celebrities need to be held accountable, lose their platforms and become educated on how their words are harming others. It is unsettling to see individuals continue to defend celebrities after they hurt large groups of people with their comments.”

the post reached his 4.7 million followers and remains on the internet to this day. Shortly after, superstar rapper Kanye West unleashed a barrage of antisemitic remarks across social media. West claimed that he would go “DEFCON three on JEWISH PEOPLE” and that he “loves Jewish people, but also loves Nazis.”

“With their platform, celebrities have had and used opportunities to bring antisemitic tropes to the foreground,” Gerber said.

has these ideas in their head because of the words of their favorite celebrities.”

Gerber is the Greater Washington Area’s president in the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), the world’s largest teen Jewish movement, and maintains a consistent mission of stopping hate and antisemitism globally.

Having antisemitic attacks happen in his community, Gerber was able to use his knowledge to contribute to the

scale.

“Recently, I was able to attend an international executive body conference where we were able to provide funding to support communities that have had less access to or want to grow their Jewish identities. This helps people living in those areas to feel more comfortable in their communities and feel like they have an extra support system.” Gerber said. “Although this is not a antisemitism outright, the inclusion of Jewish people limits the felt effect of that the negative actions hold.”

Suppose anything positive has come out of these situations. In that case, it has to be the tight-knit community that has formed in hopes of protecting the Jewish identity and preventing attacks against it. The creation of the Jewish Student Alliance at WCHS proves that people have come together to end hate.

“I think in order to combat the antisemitic surge, we have to have more open conversations,” Zoll said. “People need to become more educated on antisemitism and understand how pressing the issue really is. Also, speaking out against antisemitism and amplifying Jewish voices must be prioritized to help raise more awareness.”

By Clara Young Assistant News Editor

Racism is deeply ingrained into this country’s history, and the decades of systematic oppression cannot be easily reversed.

intended to reduce discrimination in the employment process and today is well-known to be used for universities to expose their student body to the diverse combination of people they will interact with in the future. A large percentage of students at WCHS are Asiancent). At WCHS, the competitive and well-funded environment has produced highly ambitious students who have an understanding of the standards they must meet in the college process.

The Supreme Court has beengarding Harvard University and

the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC). As a state

program is being investigated as it is suspected to violate the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Additionally, although Harvard is a private institution, they receive federal funding and

therefore must abide by federal anti-discrimination laws. To strengthen their argument, -

tive action are speaking for Asian Americans to convince others that it does not provide equal opportunity.

“[Non-POC (people of color)]

are speaking from a place of privilege and speaking for groups they are not a part of, which is completely counterintuitive,” WCHS junior Anjali Tatavarthy said. “ There are a myriad of struggles that Asian Americans endure, despite being viewed as more privileged, that white people never had to face.”

Although still a minority, Asian Americans have begun to be considered equal to white Americans due to their academic success. In grouped people of color minus Asian Americans into one category while grouping Asians and white Americans into another. The two races have vastly different experiences, as being Asian American exstandards created by stereotypes.

“Asians have always been considered the model minority,” WCHS AP Environmental Science teacher Mira Chung said. “When

I was in school, I struggled in math and since I was Asian, there would be microaggressions about why I wasn’t good at math. I wasn’t very focused on [by teachers] because as an Asian child, if I didn’t do well in school, it wasn’t the teacher’s fault; it was always my fault.”

The generalization of the Asian American demographic as smarter or more educated has exposed them to harmful standards that they are expected to uphold. Consequently, their image as the prosperous minority was formed.

“The case is based on the model minority myth, which is the idea that all Asian Americans are a ‘successful minority’ in the US,” WCHS junior Allison Zhang said. “This not only

installation to catch up on the latest exhibits in the Capitol.

has become an athletic powerhouse across the majority of sports. Find out why.

PHOTO BY KENDYL GROISSER.

PHOTO BY LEAH KREISLER.

Protestors stand outside the Supreme Court on Oct. 30, a day before the beginning of arguments regarding the

PHOTO COURTESY OF QIANG WANG.

PHOTO

Kyrie Irving, a professional basketball player, promoted conspiracy theories on his Twitter account. Despite deleting the tweet and apologizing for his actions,

“Although many people see it and immediately think it’s ridiculous, others see it as encouraging and that their ideas are supported. This happens while a whole new side, which was previously impartial now,

the Bethesda Trolley Trail. This attack, as well as others, has prompted people to take

action

in

order

to prevent

it

in the future.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLISON FISHKIND.

munities as the same erases their unique-into their argument even though their ar--sume that when a white or Asian American -

--that whatever the outcome [of the UNC and--

---

Too hot, too cold: WCHS’ never-ending Goldilocks problem

By George Chang Arts Editor

Even though it is nearing the dead of winter—with excitement in the air winter coat as she returns from her--

A major source of frustration for--

-

twice as hard to teach in engaging

----

the change of season contradicts with-

A frequent concern that stu---siveness and a focus that is newer -

PHOTO BY JEREMY CHUNG.

PHOTO BY GEORGE CHANG.

Teacher of the Month: William Swift

By Julia Levi Assistant Observations Editor

From holding skiing world records and working for PBS to teaching high school students, calling Mr. William Swift well-rounded would be an understatement. Known for his bubbly and lively personality, the AP Computer Science Principles and Broadcast Television teacher never seems to fail to engage his students.

Swift grew up in Georgetown, D.C. and attended Colorado College where he majored in Biology and Drama. Thereafter, Swift took on several unique job experiences all with a similar theme: teaching.

“From [Colorado College], I worked as a ski and sailing instructor for Club Med, working in Copper Mountain, Colorado, Paradise Island in the Bahamas and St. Moritz in Switzerland,” Swift said.

At this time, Swift was a professional freestyle skier who held the world record for the Torchlit Ski Descent. Following his skiing career, Swift acquired

a position as the head of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) News Hour’s STEM and Health Student Reporting Labs.

“I had a portfolio of 39 high schools and middle schools that would submit stories for prompts I had established on a theme for the year,” Swift said.

With this position, Swift found a passion for televi sion and broadcasting. How ever, after three years with PBS, Swift decided to reroute his course.

“My NSF Grant funding that position ended and COVID came along, and no one was biting in the TV Job market, so I looked into teaching high school,” Swift said. “I have always been told I would be a good teacher, but my style is more of a coach since I started teaching skiing.”

Swift began teaching at WCHS three years ago where, unfortu

fully online due to COVID-19. Nevertheless, Swift adapted to WCHS and quickly built connections with those around him.

“In my CTE department, everyone is incredibly fun and supportive,” Swift said. “Students for the most part are eager to learn and succeed. It is an exciting environment to be a part of.”

In his classes, Swift is able to create a relaxed yet entertaining environment for his students. Often found sparking conversations with students, Swift always seems to have an amusing story to share.

“Mr. Swift was super enthusiastic and engaged students in his class,” WCHS junior Sarah Yesnowitz said. “I took AP Computer Science Principles and he made the learning environment enjoyable while introducing new topics.”

In addition to computer science, Swift hones in his passion for broadcast television through teaching the

Broadcast Television course at WCHS. One of his favorite parts of teaching is going LIVE each Friday for the WCHS broadcasts.

“We put a lot of effort into trying to come up with a great set and fun ideas for the script. It makes me very proud to see my team work under the pressure of a LIVE Broadcast,” Swift said.

“In TV, I am hoping to train a cadre of your producers that can create great visual stories on Churchill and issues that touch their lives.”

From his classes, Swift hopes that his students will develop a love of learning. Computer science and media is very important to Swift, as he believes it is the #1 gateway into the “STEM Pipeline.” Swift plans to continue sharing the value of STEM with his students, as well as setting them up for academic success.

“I feel very blessed to be working in such an excellent school,” Swift said. “Churchill has a pretty amazing reputation in the community and the alumni all love the school. That is pretty cool!”

New “Rainbow Bulldog Award” promotes inclusivity

By Sneha David Assistant Online Editor

When coming to school, students should never have to feel like they cannot be themselves. While WCHS prides itself on being a welcoming community, certain teachers go above and beyond in making their classrooms feel like a safe space. The Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) is giving out “Rainbow Bulldog” awards to teachers who do just that.

“The Rainbow Bulldog Award was created this year to showcase teachers who have excelled at creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students to express themselves,” GSA co-president and WCHS senior Kaylen Chang said. “The award allows LGBTQ+ students to know which teachers are safe to really talk and open up if they ever need it.”

After having members of their club and WCHS students vote, the GSA has presented the Rainbow Bulldog Award to English and Drama teacher, Ms. Naomi Kieval, recognizing her as a teacher that makes her room a safe space.

“I am naturally always trying to makes them who they are and hopefully that comes across in interactions and in the classroom,” Kieval said. “I am constantly challenging my students to do that and to not make assumptions.”

There are many opportunities for teachers to be able to make their classrooms safe spaces for students. It is important that students always feel heard and appreciated in whatever classroom they are in.

“[Teachers should cultivate] a respectful classroom where all students have a voice and all students listen to one another,” Chang said. “If just one voice goes unheard, the entire class is never accounted for fully.”

One of the ways Kieval makes her students feel heard is by simply taking an interest and asking questions. She makes an effort to learn about who her students are as a person and how she can help and support them in her classroom.

“What I do is I constantly ask my students questions,” Kieval said. “They are teaching me all the time. I’m always making relationships with my students so that I am comfortable with my students and they are comfortable

with me.”

At school, students should be able to express their true selves. While different anti-hate policies are heavily implemented at WCHS, teachers still play an important role in making sure all students feel accepted in the classrooms as well.

“Safe spaces are needed now for the queer community,” Chang said. “It is important for all students, especially LGBTQ+ students, to feel safe in school and elsewhere, as there are higher rates of bullying, harassment and suicide among LGBTQ+ teens.”

One of the main reasons the GSA

started presenting the Rainbow Bulldog Award was to acknowledge the teachers that go above and beyond to make sure every student feels safe and heard in school. It is important that these teachers are recognized so that they can continue to create a positive environment in their classroom and at WCHS.

“I didn’t realize I was doing this and it made me feel really good to know I was creating a safe space,” Kieval said. “It’s my goal, but hearing it from students’ mouths gives me feedback that I am on the right path and what I am doing is making a difference. It encourages me to keep going and allows me to

understand that I might not know everything and asking questions is ok.”

Not every student feels safe out who they are outside of school. Creating a positive and safe space in school is necessary in order for everyone, including teachers and students, to learn and grow.

“Students sometimes spend more time here, at school, with their teachers than they do with their parents. So, I just think that students should feel as comfortable as possible when they are here,” Kieval said. “I am always growing and changing and learning, and I see my students doing that as well and I really hope that I can help in that process and that we can all kind of discover who we are together and we need to feel safe to do that.”

Many students feel like Kieval’s classroom is a safe space because she wants to have a relationship with her students and get to know each and every one of them. She makes an effort to show her students that she cares about who they are, whoever that may be.

“One of the reasons I love being a teacher is because I love making relationships with my students and in order to get to do that I need to get to know who they are as a person and I hope they get to know me as a person as well,” Kieval said. “In order to do that I need to show them that I respect whoever they are and I hope that they respect me as well. I just try to make it very clear in the beginning, tell me who you are in every way, shape or form so I can know who you are.”

PHOTO BY SNEHA DAVID.

Ms. Naomi Keival poses with her Rainbow Bulldog Award that she was presented with by the GSA for taking the extra steps in making her classroom a safe and inclusive environment.

Poor or progressive: Posthumous albums

By Liam Klein Opinions Editor

Posthumous albums are nothing new to the music industry. What do The Notorious B.I.G’s “Life After Death”, Jimi Hendrix’s “The Cry of Love”, 2Pac’s “R U Still Down” and Marvin Gaye’s “Vulnerable” all have in common? They all were released after the artist’s death and in some cases multiple years after. However, due to the sad reality that more and more young artists are tragically dying in the midst of their careers, it feels like there are more posthumous albums than ever before.

over the past few years has made it releasing these albums. These albums could be a heartfelt last release that the artist would have felt comfortable putting out into the world. But, likely these albums served as an incohesive cash grab by the artist’s family and studio to capitalize on the publicity and fame of the artist. This begs the question: have posthumous albums become unethical?tant to understand how the release of posthumous albums works. Firstly, there is such a thing as pre-planned posthumous albums in which the artist has completed the album and it will be released at the time of the artist’s death - these are no different from a regular album outside of the album rollout. Secondly, there are unplanned posthumous albums, these are more common and happen after an artist’s untimely death. The creation of these albums varies from a wide range of complexities, such as how much the album is completed and the plans for the album before the artist’s death. However, usually, the family or label of the artist puts the project on the shoulders of a few different people: a producer, writer, collaborator, or another artist who was close to the artist or involved in the creation of the project.

Despite this, there still are some memorable posthumous albums that are actually good listens. Some prominent examples include Pop Smoke’s “Shoot For the Stars Aim For the New York rapper 50 Cent, along with plenty of examples from the early 2000s such as Ray Charles’s “Genius Love Company” and Johnny Cash “American IV: The Man Comes Around,” both of which cracked the Billboard 200. In recent years though, perhaps the prime example of a posthumous album in recent years is Mac Miller’s “Circles”.

The album was released a year after

his death and was planned to be theized by producer John Brion under the supervision of Miller’s family. The album is regarded as one of Miller’s best. It does an excellent job of giving closure to Miller’s career; most importantly, it has cohesive themes and ideas throughout the album - something very few posthumous albums have. Unfortunately, for every “Circles,” there are a ton of cluttered, overproduced, convoluted posthumous albums. Perhaps the poster children for these poor posthumous albums are Xxxtentacion, Juice World and the king of pop

Michael Jackson.

All these artists have had more than one album released posthumously, years after their tragic deaths. It seems like each one is a more lackluster cash grab than the last. While some may see that these projects are commercially successful such as in the case of Juice World’s “Legends Never Die,” cases like this are few and far between and lining.

There are many more examples of posthumous albums that end up as shalthe name of the artist. The best example of this is Michael Jackson and his two posthumous albums; one was so terrible that in July of this year, Sony removed three songs from streaming services from Jackson’s 2010 posthumous album “Michael.”

Along with this, when artists have more albums released after their death than before, it leaves listeners pondering about ulterior motives for the release of these posthumous albums. Is it about music or money? Money makes the world go round so the answer is clear. Perhaps, the most conspicuous example of this involves Xxxtentacion, a rapper who died in 2018; ever since his close family and relatives have been desperately disputing over who should control his lucrative estate which is valued at over $50 million dollars and even more coming from his music streaming.

Posthumous albums are undoubtedly unethical choices and most posthumous albums are better off unreleased. When snippets of artists’ music are being milked into full-length albums

singles are released years later, it makes one thing clear: posthumous albums are about the money, not the legacy or the music. Families should stop using these dead artists to profit for themselves as it only produces unlikeable music for the fans and tarnishes the artist’s reputation.

WCHS, start doing the right thing for lefty learners

By Julia Levi Assistant Observations Editor

Using spiral notebooks, cutting with scissors and dealing with ink smudges while writing are just a few of the struggles that left-handers have to deal with. Navigating a world with manmade objects primarily built to accommodate right-handers offers challenges for lefties. Not only are these challenges present in the general world, but they are present at WCHS.

Most classrooms have either a mix of right-handed and rectangular desks, or solely right-handed desks. These right-handed desks are L-shaped, with the return/wing portion that serves as a hand rest on the right-hand side. They offer no arm support since the entire structure of the desk is geared towards a right-handed person. Among all classrooms, left-handed desks do not exist at WCHS. Most righties have never thought about this as a problem or how it impacts their left-handed peers.

It can be uncomfortable for lefties to awkwardly write with their left arm hanging in mid-air due to the lack of arm support these right-handed desks offer. Additionally, using right-handed desks can be frustrating and even distracting at times for lefties when trying to focus on a test or hand-write an essay.

For a left-handed person, spending hours upon hours each week sitting cramped up in a right-handed desk can be agonizing. Left-handed students may develop back and shoulder pain from having no other choice but to uncomfortably twist their bodies so that they

are able to write on paper.

According to a study led by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, lefties make up approxi -

mately 10.6% of the world’s population. Shouldn’t that be accounted for at a school with over 2,000 students?

It’s important for all students to

feel comfortable in their classrooms, which is why it’s crucial for WCHS to accommodate left-handers.

If a handful of left-handed desks were added into classrooms, or rectangular desks were more spread out among WCHS classrooms, left-handed students would have the opportunity to learn in a more comfortable desk that is

Nevertheless, the issue may still prevail due to the fact that most teachers implement assigned seating charts for their classes, oftentimes giving students no choice in the desk in which they sit. This means that if the addition of left-handed desks were to be carried through, they may not end up ben -

worse, they may hinder right-handed students depending on where they are assigned to sit. Therefore, the only viable solution to the issue would be to impose that all desks at WCHS are the rectangular, neutral desks that accommodate all students, despite their handedness.

From using kitchen gadgets to writing in three-ring binders, lefties are constantly hindered in more ways than one may think. One place where lefties should not have to struggle to feel accommodated within their environment is school. The majority of desks at WCHS being right-handed desks is a problem. No student should feel uncomfortable while learning, which is why classrooms need to have uniformly rectangular desks, or the addition of a few left-handed desks.

Most WCHS classrooms have predominantly right-handed desks which fail to accommodate for the learning needs of left-handed students.

There are many popular posthumous albums such as “Circles,” “Legends Never Die” and more. But are these albums’ popularity worth

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA COMMONS..

PHOTO BY JULIA LEVI.

Observer Opinion: WCHS must do more to protect our students

Editor-in-Chief

Ryan Weiner

Copy Editor

Caitlin Murphy

Online Editor-in-Chief Rachel Mattison

Online Editor Collin Chen Vaughn Malamut

Assistant Online Editor

Sneha David Kendyl Groisser

News Editor Jeremy Chung

Assistant News Editor Clara Young

Observations Editor Caroline Harless

Assistant Observations Editor

Julia Levi

Opinions Editor Liam Klein

Assistant Opinions Editor

Abbas Yazdi

Features Editor

Melissa Redlich Ha-Yeon Jeon

Assistant Features Editor Ananya Pandit

Arts Editor George Chang Kalena Yee

Sports Editor

Michael Demske Justin Greenzaid

Social Media Manager Jack Gans Paige Tasin

Photo Manager Cecilia Bernstein Diya Kachoria

Online Photo Manager Leah Kreisler

Advertising and Subscriptions Manager Brianna Frank Tafa Nutakor

Promotions Manager

Graeme Finley Nate Levine Naomi Wright

Internal Communications Manager

Nataly Behnia Isabella Ngwana

Adviser

Zitnik

Makenna Lee Elrod. Layla Salazar. Maranda Mathis. Nevaeh Bravo. Jose Manuel Flores Jr. Xavier Lopez. Rojelio Torres. Ellie Amyah Garcia. Eliahna Torres. Jackie Cazares. Jayce Carmelo Luevanos. Maite Yuleana Rodriguez. Jailah Nicole Silguero. Irma Garcia. Eva Mireles. Amerie Jo Garza. Alithia Ramirez. Jean Kuczka. Gamaine Patrick Brown. Ebenezer Haile. Shannon McKenzie. Imani Hill. Terron Yarbrough. Jeremiah Brogden. Jamari Jackson. Shawn Dwight Tolbert. Jose David Lopez. Jahmari Campbell.

To the average reader, those names are nothing. However, each of those people listed above was shot and killed at a school between January and October of 2022. Each of those people had mothers, fathers, siblings, uncles, aunts or even kids that will live the rest of their lives without them. So, why are names constantly added to this list without anything changing inside schools? Why is WCHS not doing more to eliminate the problems that could lead to our students’ names being next on the list?

While many like to think of WCHS as a safe zone, the facts tell a different story - a very

sad story. According to the Government Accountability

States (East Coast) had the most school shootings between 2009 and 2019 at 156. A survey by Pew Research showed that 57% of high school students worry about a shooting at their school on a day-to-day basis. Even

school shooting fatalities have increased by over 500% in the

Currently, it would not be very hard for someone with malicious intentions to come into WCHS and cause chaos and bloodshed. The unfortunate truth is that we have portables, which means that a set of doors by the portables have to be unlocked throughout the school day to allow students into the building. This means that they can be utilized by anyone to get into the building. This poses a real problem, as most school shooters are indistinguishable from the average student. According to the Washington Post, the median age of a school shooter is 16, which means that they could easily blend in with a crowd of students that is entering the building from the portables and then cause havoc inside.

Additionally, doors this year

have been casually left open by students or teachers that do not want the safety lock to another way into the building. This poses an even bigger threat. Our doors are meant to be locked from the outside to force visitors, both wanted and unwanted, to go to the main

Yet, if a door is accidentally left open this setup fails completely and could allow for a school shooter to enter the building unaccounted for.

Both of these safety problems that the school has yet to address leave WCHS ripe for a scenario in which a very dangerous person could enter the building without anyone noticing and cause major damage before a lockdown or other safety protocols are instituted. Allowing these problems to go on is completely unacceptable and violates the trust of both WCHS students and parents alike.

Fortunately, it is not too late to keep the names of WCHS students off the list. Since they do not have the power to do much of anything to make stricter gun laws, administration must follow in the footsteps of schools everywhere from Florida to New York and

make our student IDs access passes to the building. Alongside this, they must enforce the wearing of them at all times during the school day. By pushing this solution, anyone who is not a part of the WCHS community is obvious due to their lack of a building access pass and therefore cannot enter our building without going

However, making our student IDs access passes may be expensive due to the new technology doors would have to have to make them compatible. But in the end, the safety of students should be the top priority of schools, and therefore addressed with as much money as possible.

In addition, our school must crack down on doors being left open during class periods and lunch, regardless of the circumstance. If necessary, teachers could be stationed by the doors doors are left closed at a time when people are constantly moving in and out of the building. While these solutions are not foolproof, they eliminate many of the factors that lead to deadly school shootings and must be adopted to keep the WCHS community safe from gun violence.

Daylight savings turns back the clock on progress

By Paige Tasin Social Media Manager

is substantially more exhausted and unadjusted to their native time zone. It almost gives a feeling of jet lag, despite the fact that nobody ever left home. What causes this discomfort? Every American’s most dreaded day: Daylight savings.

During the months of March

daylight savings time. This means we experience less light in the morning and more light in the evening. This practice can wildly throw off sleep schedules and affect many individuals’ performances at school and work.

Teenagers especially find it far more difficult to have an earlier morning and much easier to have a later night. Therefore, many individuals feed into this cycle and end up with far less sleep. This time keeps teenagers up later at night and thus affects their performance during the day.

Daylight savings can have long term effects that go far beyond that of lack of sleep. This time can increase depression, slow metabolism, increase weight gain and cause head-

aches. These effects will likely continue to bleed over into the next year and create a constant cycle of discomfort.

Aside from discomfort, daylight savings can also cause serious health issues. According to Northwestern Medicine, daylight savings causes a 24% higher risk of heart attacks, 6% increase in fatal car crashes and an 8% stroke increase. There is a simple solution to this immense increase in fatal events. Removing daylight

lives. Despite the health risks, the fact that fatal car crashes increase by such a high level indicates that it causes sleep deprivation and harms many

COURTESY OF FLICKR.

dard time all year. Over half of the world and even some states

Hawaii do not change their time zones. Therefore, it is clear will benefit everyone due to standardization reasons.

According to PBS, daylight savings was initially implemented to conserve energy during the two World Wars. It

people. This statistic also only includes those car crashes which have proved fatal. The statistic is likely far higher in car accidents that did not result in fatalities.

Daylight savings not only has negative effects on physical health, but can have an immense impact on mental health as well. Around this time there have been reports indicating an 11% spike in depressive episodes. The simple addition or subtraction of an hour can decrease mental health and therefore harmfully affect the

Time and Date indicates that more than 60% of the countries in the world remain on a stan-

War One and revoked once the war ended. It was reinstated in World War Two, but once again revoked after. It was not permanently installed until the energy crisis of the 1970s. However, it has since been proved that it does not in fact save energy, as heating and air conditioning increases when light is saved.

The health risks that occur each year during this transition can easily be prevented. Daylight savings does not save energy as the way it was originally implemented to do and it is not worth the health risks. Whether it results in car crashes, depression or heart attacks, all age groups are affected by the shift and everyone experiences the difference.

Quality and length of life will increase if daylight savings time is removed.

PHOTO

An IVF Journey: a bumpy road of highs and lows

By Ha-Yeon Jeon Features Editor

IEP. GPA. ASL. These three-letter acronyms are so often used in the academic environment that students do not have to pause to register their meanings. In the AP Biology class at WCHS, however, an unfamiliar acronym appearing on the board puzzled students: IVF.

There may be those who say that IVF, or in vitro fertilization, is not something that belongs in the classroom. Sara Nemati, a biology teacher at WCHS, would disagree. In November, she surprised her students by announcing her pregnancy during a lesson on hormones, connecting the material to an in-depth explanation of her journey with fertility treatment.

According to Mayo Clinic, IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology; through a complex series of procedures, it helps with fertility and assists with the conception of a collected from ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab, after which they are transferred to a uterus. However, despite its higher success rate than other fertility treatment options, it remains a

“When you are over 35 years old, your fertility declines,” Nemati said. “I suddenly found out that mine had declined; I was told [by my doctors] that I was basically running out of time to have a child. I have always felt that children were part of my journey, so I

IVF is a deeply personal experience, with the road being much more bumpy than smooth. So then, why share her

journey with her students?

Nemati said. “One, because the science behind it is fascinating. Two, because sometime in the future, students may have to go through an alternative path

Being open has also garnered support from her communities; she has not

“Since I have been open about my journey, several teachers at WCHS have

told me that they had also done IVF,” Nemati said. “There are also message boards that you can go to for support throughout the process.”

Even with support, however, the simple fact remains that the decision to begin IVF treatment is a life-changing and anxious one, as it carries just as as it does joy.

“It was definitely a difficult and emotional journey,” Nemati said. “It forces you to figure out how much you want something and how much

you can handle. It is not easy - I had to go through three cycles of IVF and egg retrieval, and there are people who give up after one.”

Even if there is support coming from most directions, there can still be bias coming from others about being a single parent by choice. One of the biggest misconceptions people have about fertility treatment is that infertility only happens to people of older age. As a result of this prejudice, there may be those who do not understand why younger adults pursue these options and judge them for their choices.

“There are all sorts of reasons for why fertility can decline,” Nemati said. “For some people it happens in their thirties, but for others it does not happen until later in life. It varies from individual to individual at different ages. You have to where you are at.”

At the end of the day, for Nemati, the best decision for herself was beginning

“You don’t want to have regrets in you’re on the fence and don’t do it right now, would you regret it on your deathbed?’ and the answer for me was yes.”

Although fertility treatment options are advancing and becoming both more accessible and popular, there does remain a stigma around infertility and single parents. If there is one thing Nemati

mind and heart opens eyes. do IVF and families that don’t do IVF - in the end, they are all just families,” life interesting!”

Iconic Lotte Market says goodbye to Germantown

By Collin Chen Online Editor

has strived to be the premier source for Asian groceries in Maryland and Virginia.tion in 1989 to 12 stores throughout Marylocations, the Germantown Lotte carried a wide variety of international products from Korea, India, China and South East Asia to satisfy the large Asian population in Montgomery County. In addition, its sushi bar, food court and Chinese deli have brought smiles to customers including many WCHS students.

“I’ve been going to Lotte since I was little,” WCHS sophomore Laura Jablonover her usual groceries, I would roam around

Many WCHS students are attracted bynior Jonathan Kim remembers becoming

grocery runs with my mom,” J. Kim said. “There was always this one lady whoery time she saw me and we became good friends and still are.”

Similarly, WCHS freshman Elizabeth Kim has grown up in the Germantown area and has fond memories with the employees.

“I’ve lived around the same area for 7-8 years of my childhood,” E. Kim said. “My favorite memories were visiting the seafood section and the manager would always give I enjoyed seeing the live crabs and lobsters

After an announcement by a represen-

tative from the Lotte in Germantown con-

will especially miss the happy memories from eating warm noodles with her mom.

“My family was pretty upset to hear the news,” Jablonover said. “I will miss eating

conversations with my mom as we ate. I also have many friends and their families who are just as disappointed as we are. A big portion of my culture is the food, and I will always cherish the meals I had at

Lotte.”

location closed, but the Lotte Plaza Business has remained stable and is predicted to add more stores across the DMV. With that said, senior Konnor Lee believes that the Asian presence in the county will continue to exist through other Lotte locations and Korean grocery stores.

“It’s a shame, really,” Lee said. “I’m sure the Asian community will feel some sadness seeing Lotte go, but there are

It is obvious that Lotte has been a large portion of WCHS students’ lives. But despite its physical presence leaving, the memories made there will live strongly in the hearts of the Asian community.gia, and I would visit there often, even after I moved to Potomac,” E. Kim said. “It’s still an amazing place that sold many foods that my family cherished.”

Korean Korner and H-Mart,”

The Lotte Plaza Market in Germantown has been open since the 1990s, attracting customers with its Asian groceries and produce. Above, customers shop in the frozen-food and beverage section.

Sara Nemati attends a lantern festival to make a wish for her IVF journey. Her lantern reads “I want a baby girl.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOTTE PLAZA.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA NEMATI.

Patterns can be found in many places throughout daily life: household objects, clothes and even furniture. But imagine seeing those simple, and sometimes crazy patterns everywhere and at all times. On the ceiling, onrounding you. Imagine the feeling of nothingness, as one is consumed in an eternity of repetitive patterns. That is a daily reality for 93-year-old Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Through her art, Kusama is able to suspend viewers in that same sense of endless time and inhallucinations.

As a result of years of trauma and abuse by her mother, Kusama hastions since she was a young girl and has been creating art for just as long.

surroundings and ultimately consum-

On April 1, 2022, the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C. debuted “One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama intion with a focused look at the artist’s career. In contrast to the 2017 Kusama -

holds four of her pieces. Two of the with mirrors and repetitive patterns that create a kaleidoscopic illusion. The other two works are a self portrait Kusama drew when she was a young girl and a large model of a pumpkin that blends into the similarly designed room of black polka dots on an orange background.

“It’s a small museum, it’s a very small gallery, and we only have four services associate at the Hirshhorn Museum, said. “People seem to think

The number one thing we hear at the

size, it has become a phenomenon on social media. Instagram feeds are full-

mendations. Kusama’s mesmerizing and immersive pieces have captured the public’s attention in a new way and

have found a home in the vastness of social media. According to Hirshorn staff, Kusama herself has encouraged people to post about her artwork because she considers this act part of the is part of her artwork and manifesto. “Normally, you stand and look at art for a few seconds and you move

you get mesmerized and amazed; you want to stay forever. Each of her rooms are Instagram-worthy. Kusama’s work

With four pieces, viewers are truly able to get an understanding of Kusa-

ma’s style and obsessions, as well as each viewer on a journey from the beginning of Kusama’s love of art when she was a little girl to her most recent

history and there’s a self portrait from when she was little. Then we’ve got the pumpkin and the two rooms. You go back in time to how she started, when she was young and when she lived in

Mize, a visitors services associate at the Hirshorn museum, said. “There’s al-

is Dancing Into the Universe.’ You can see how different they are, how much

Kusama is one of the most famous and interesting modern artists of our time. Although “Yayoi Kusama: One the end of November, the Hirshhorn

and families should take advantageing the holiday season or in the new at noon.

“A lot of art, traditionally, is meant to be beautiful or capturing something beautiful, and modern art, in general, “These rooms elicit emotions and reactions in everyone; people always light up when they go inside them but they don’t necessarily feel at ease. They say great art makes you feel something, whether that’s positive or negative,

Editor-In-Chief

pressive teenage activists and leaders who take it upon themselves to create change and spread awareness for important global issues. The HOPE Condedicated to raising money for special-needs care centers in China and spreading inspiration to young musiTHC was founded by Aiai Calmer, a freshman at Brown University, and are also the Communications Director and Artistic Director, respectively.

been working on creating their organization since last year.

“The HOPE Concert is a series of concerts dedicated to raising money children’s care center in China that during Covid-19, and we also want to raise awareness for the many different care centers around the world that was founded in 1995 by Timothy and Pamela Baker, two English teachers who moved to China, to honor their late friend Philip Hayden and continue their work of supporting at-risk children. The foundation started help-

“We decided to start The HOPE

-

Concert after learning that the Chinese government would not be funding way, and we wanted to make a difference in these children’s lives after such rough years with the virus. We hopecially, but to also encourage them to traditional instruments, which don’t get that much attention on mainstream

Performances for THC usually are 45 minutes to an hour and highlight numerous traditional musicians. The most recent performance was on Nov. 12 at the Potomac Community Center and featured instruments such as the piano.

“We are partners with the Washingthe great opportunity to showcase at least one guzheng player at every concert. We also have many classical music students that perform for us, play-

Director of Production, Yashar Garzan, we manage to recruit traditional musicians across the globe to share with us their musical talent that is often over-

community to help further its mission.bers, who work behind the scenes on tasks like organization and social media, or as performers for their concerts.

“I saw an Instagram post from Wen-

THC’s objective was: to raise funds for a Chinese care center. Because I was adopted myself, I was interested in the opportunity to give back by being avia Thomson said.

New concert dates are posted both on their website and Instagram account (@thehopeconcert). To gain a better understanding of what a HOPE concert performance looks like, be sure to check out their August Kickoff video on their Youtube channel, @the-

“The goal of The HOPE Concert is to raise at least $2000 towards the Philbe able to branch out moving forward and incorporate many other orphan--

formation about THC’s performances or how to donate, go to https://www. thehopeconcert.com/.

Online Photo Manager

PHOTO COURTESY OF SYLVIA THOMSON.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEAH KREISLER.

By Kalena Yee Arts Editor

Drawing. Painting. Film. Animation. These are distinctive and separate forms of art that many are familiar with. However, WCHS senior Ida Chen pushes the limits as she fuses all of these art forms into one, creating something that is uniquely her own.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always liked documenting – taking audio re-ing friends and making compilations, drawing comics of daily family occurI made were documentaries, so I think Chen said.

Chen has blossomed over the years into a highly accomplished artist, winning countless awards for her docu-

in the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition in 2021 and 2022 and in the Congressional Art Competition Mixed Media Category in 2022. In addition, Chen’s work has also been displayed in several exhibits and festivals including the Marymount University Barry Gallery Juried Exhibition. In the WCHS community, she is the Vice President of Art Honors Society and Co-President of Student Lens, a club dedicated to video making.

Out of all of her impressive projects, her favorite is a short documentary and animation about a birdhouse she

painted and left in the woods called

“The monotonous suburban landscape makes it easy to forget that people with interesting lives and thoughts reside in these neighborhoods. This -

seen stories. I placed a birdhouse in the woods so that passersby can drop in their musings, secrets or dreams. This project aims to break down the seemingly perfect and boring mirage that is

the description of the piece.

As for her favorite mediums, Chen

enjoys using video, charcoal and ballpoint pen, and she often uses all of them when making animations. Nevertheless, Chen is always open and eager to try different forms of art.

“I recently started making [threedimensional works of art called] installations, and I think they are so cool because you can work with space, video, Chen said. “One idea I really hope to be able to create is a walk-through map of my memories which will be a room full of drawings and videos that start out clear to represent recent memories and

eventually become blurry and grainy

inspiration from various artists like Laurie Anderson, Sarah Sze and Nam June Paik.

“All three of them are multimedia artists that cross the boundaries between video, sculpture, sound and installation art. They inspire me to

Anderson’s exhibition at the Hirshorn and Nam June Paik’s Electronic High-

For aspiring artists, Chen recommends for them to seek out and surround themselves with art in order to stimulate creative possibilities.

“Over the summer, I was super lucky to have been able to visit the exhibitions in D.C. and to have had access to art books and DVDs at the li-

learned, the more inspired and excited

Exposing herself to art in different and unexpected places allows Chen to show her original artistic voice. For Chen, art acts as a method to express herself in ways that words are unable to.

“[Art is] really just super fun. When I think about art and all the incredible work and people out there it’s really

Students are wrapped up in their 2022 Spotify Wrapped

By Jeremy Chung News Editor

From walking through the hallways, studying or secretly plugging in earbuds in class, music plays an integral part in WCHS students’ lives. With that, one streaming platform comes to mind for all: Apple Music - just kidding it is Spotify. Christmas music melts out our music choices from throughout the year. Spotify does just that with its annual and highly anticipated year-end Spotify Wrapped.

As stated in the name, Spotify 2022 with a few slides that can be shared with friends through text or on social media. It features not onlyite music genres, songs and artists, but also intriguing ones such as the number of minutes one spent listening on Spotify, the number of times one spe-ture debuted this year, which creates a personalized playlist of the listener’s top 101 songs from 2022.

Starting back in 2017, Spotify Wrapped has increasingly grown into a phenomenon for everyone, including artists, and has transformed listening to music into an innovative experience connecting people to one another. According to Spotify, more than 120 million users participated in Spotify Wrapped last year.

“Music brings people together and I think Wrapped did that especially because it allows people to explore each Luke Wu said. “I have been using Spouse it every day, so I would say music -

With Spotify Wrapped, users can see data about how they listen to music. For example, WCHS senior Konnor Lee garnered at least 38,000 minutes, the equivalent of 26 full days.

ligence, Spotify utilizes algorithms to collect data on music preferences, searches, song replays and more to how Spotify additionally suggests new songs to listen to based on the listener’s preferences. This guessing feature allows for somewhat realistic results which can simplify one’s taste into a few slides.

“I think my Wrapped truly represented my music tastes for this year. I wasn’t surprised to see any of the spent almost 38,000 minutes listening to music on Spotify, said. “It did say that I’m a Poetic Hopeless Romantic based on what I listen to in the mornings, which I thought was pretty funny

However, despite how accurate Spotify may say their algorithm is, many people are quick to doubt its ability to predict their music tastes and believeknowledging their shock and disappointment in what Spotify Wrapped said about them on social media. Ar-

show implicit bias and perpetuate racism to some groups of people. Could that be the case with Spotify?

“I don’t believe my Wrapped truly represented my music preferences this to a lot more pop than rap, but it listed my most listened to genre as rap. Either this means I really enjoy rap music

Additionally, the question of priva-

cy concerns comes into the conversation. It is no secret that the streaming platform actively tracks everyone’s behavior in the app to make it more personal for users, which is an important reason why the streaming company outperforms against all others. However, a concern that remains is how much data is too much?

As stated in Spotify’s privacy policy, the service can collect personal data such as a user’s email address, birth date, gender, postal code and country, as well as voice data. Other companies, most notably Apple, Amazon and Meta have been criticized with handling sensitive personal information. However, Spotify has not been as criticized as much, most likely since they are widely assumed to use personal data for entertainment purposes such creating a sharable portfolio. Despite the risks of danger, Lee does not see it as a plausible risk.

“I see no reason to be concerned. Users sign up to use the app and even pay for subscriptions. If they are concerned about data breach, then they can always go to another streaming

already have my birthday and gender, and sites like Amazon and Ebay have my postal code, even my whole address. I feel like a lot of people blow

All in all, Spotify Wrapped has not only summarized people’s music choices but has started a new trend of connecting people around the world through their everyday actions of listening. Spotify is continually surprising and engaging us in many ways, and 2022 is no exception.

“It’s fun to share music tastes. I don’t think anyone should be embarsaid. “It makes us special, unless you

This is one of Ida Chen’s portfolio pieces made of acrylic paint and ballpoint pen. It is about the curiosity of students shining through the mundane aspects of schooling.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IDA CHEN.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KONNOR LEE.

Winning streak increases WCHS spirit and unity

By Rachel Mattison Online Editor-in-Chief

WCHS has long been known for strong academics proven by its many accolades over the years such as being a National Blue Ribbon School and ranked as the best high school in Maryland based on academic performance. Recently, WCHS has been receiving recognition not only as a smart school, but an athletic one. The past few years have been a transition from being an overlooked opponent on a team’s schedule to being one that they know sports, but in all of them.

The rise in athletic success has not caused the academic priorities of WCHS to dwindle. Students still care about their work, but they are also now surrounded by an exciting sports community. The energy in the building and opportunity for students to either participate in or attend games enhances the culture of WCHS. Having an outlet for fun and exercise helps unite the school and relieve some of the academic pressure that comes with attending a nationally ranked school.

“Sports can unite our school through their excitement and success,” WCHS athletic director Jesse Smith said. “When our teams are doing well, there is more excitement and positivity in our hallways. In addition to the culture of the school they improve the players as people. Sports teach us how to work toward a common goal, overcome adversity and accept others regardless of differences.”

While sports have always been available at WCHS, their recent success has prompted more interest in them and turned them into a social opportunity. Previously games did not draw large crowds; no sports culture meant those community uniting aspects were not in play.

“Sports are pretty huge in current social culture, and having good teams gets students excited to go see wins,” WCHS senior and volleyball player Kaki Hubeny said. “A lot of people go

and dress up, cheer and hang out. It is a break from all the hard work we do and makes the school community more positive. For example, the Wootton football game is something that gets everyone pumped all week and then everyone dresses in black to go watch us win.”

This past fall teams went a combined 115-24-6 without one team having a losing record. Success like that is going to generate enthusiasm and attendance. However, WCHS has not always had athletic records like thatthey used to only be consistently strong

“I think recently the commitment level of our athletes has been upped which has clearly led to results,” Smith said. “When I got here there were plenty of dedicated athletes but overall it was something to put on a college application. As the number of committed athletes grows so does success, and those things have in return bred that hunger for more and more success. Athletes are making this commitment because they’ve realized they can excel in athletics and academics, the dedicat-

BY RACHEL MATTISON.

ed coaches we have and the improvements we are putting into the athletics program from improved training equipment to the best facilities.”

In addition to the level of athlete commitment increasing over the past few years, so has community commitment.

“When I arrived seven years ago sports were on the back burner,” Smith said. “As time has gone on we’ve developed outstanding engagement. The last two years we have had record numbers of ticket sales, fundraising and overall support from everyone.”

Community support shows that everyone is behind the athletes and wants them to succeed. This encouragement that athletics should be an important part of WCHS goes a long way in changing the past culture of what WCHS was. Known locally as a “W school,” a term referencing being a down-county school with a high level of academics and income, WCHS has always had a very serious, cutthroat environment. But now, sports are helping to build a more positive community with teachers wishing students

good luck and students going to cheer for their friends. And the sports teams themselves help other teams do better.

“One team’s success absolutely contributes to the success of another,” Smith said. “Athletes are competitive and if they see one team succeeding, they want their team to succeed as well and get that same attention. We also have lots of our kids play multiple sports and they bring that winning mentality they have on one team to their next team.”

This perspective from Smith is rethey go from season to season.

“In the spring we won the lacrosse state championship and then the next season a lot of the same guys were on the football team together,” WCHS senior and football and lacrosse player

expectation of success into football season and a mindset that we could be the best, and those two things were infectious, ultimately leading to a long run for us.”

That lacrosse state championship win, even though the team has consistently been great, not only contributed to future teams’ success but also meant a lot to the team itself.

“We’ve come so close to winning it all a bunch of times, and it felt great to

lot to win to our former players, community and Montgomery County. But most importantly it meant a lot to WCHS, demonstrated by the large crowd of fans who drove over an hour. I was glad that we put in the work to do so well because the school community clearly cared a lot about it.”

WCHS athletics has achieved wellrounded high performance. The championships and winning records are

While WCHS may have been seen as a school with teams to brush over, they are now seen as a sports powerhouse. 16 division championships, ten county, 13 region and two state titles in the past year and a half speak for themselves.

PHOTO

By Caitlin Murphy Copy Editor

Whether he is throwing a game-winning touchdown pass, diving into the pool or whipping the ball around the does it all. A three-sport ath-crosse. With fall sports coming to a close and the winter sealooking to take his momentum from a successful football seadominant swim season. It is hard to believe thatball as a freshman after takinging a game. During the season,ing quarterback, placing him in an important and demanding position.

“I took on the role committed to doing whatever it took to help our team win games,” so l made an effort to be a good This commitment was members of the football team, and drive to be an integral partmate success.

team that was contagious and brought us all up with him.” season did not start out how -

team and drove their desire to improve and win games throughout the season. This as the team went on a ninegame winning streak and beteam since 1995 to win two

“After starting with two together and we becamewas through team dinners or Lead ‘Em Up sessions, I think growing our bond as a team a nine-game win streak. Our a lot about the growth and success of our program.”

-

After a successful footballward to returning to the pool and continue our streak of

said. “Nothing compares to the roaring atmosphere of Metros.”

With great success comes great expectations, and this

wins at both Metros, a meet

that combines both public andland state championship last this season hoping to repeat their success.

nothing less than wins in both the state championship and star-studded lineup consistand the Elkassem twins, there we can go back to back.”

has been chosen in that role. in planning events, creatingtain of the girls swim team

to push us to win Metros and states.”

While the swim season has just started, it is clear thatsion will be an integral part of -

He shoots and he scores! World Cup wins big at WCHS

By Abbas Yazdi Assistant Opinions Editor Graeme Finley Promotions Manager

These past few weeks, one thing has remained on the mind of WCHS students, teachers and WCHS has an extremely diverse student body, and every team partaking in this global soccer - or “football” - championship, has supporters represented at WCHS.

The World Cup is an international soccer tournament held every four years. It is organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and is the most prestigious tournament in the sport. The tournament features 32 national teams from various countries, who compete in a knockout-style competition over the course of about a month. The winner of the tournament is crowned the world champion of soccer. The tournament is one of the most widely viewed and followed sporting events in the world, with billions of people tuning in to watch the games every day.

This global soccer showdown is normally held during the Eubut because of the searing summer heat in the chosen host coun-

to move the 2022 World Cup to November and December of 2022. This permitted schools nationwide to follow the soccer tournament during school hours

“It is a very unique experience for the entire school to be following the biggest sports tournament in the world,” WCHS senior Yahia Abdelwhab said. “In our lifetime, we have never been able to watch the World Cup with our friends and root on our favorite teams while school was ongoing, so we were all very grateful for this rare opportunity.”

Due to the uniqueness of the with its arguable historical importance, the event has convinced some teachers of WCHS to dedicate class time to watching the World Cup. Many students have been enjoying this luxury and appreciate the teachers allowing them to watch their favorite national teams play. This has allowed students to keep up with the World Cup games, streaming

website. Throughout the school day, students can be seen watching it on their Chromebooks and checking in with the World Cup

standings on Google. Along with that, students have been holding World Cup watch parties after school to see the games with their friends.

“Every weekend during the World Cup this year, my friends and I have been meeting up at our local mosque to display the match for that day because we realized that it is so much more fun to watch the games together,” WCHS sophomore Maysam Ghandi said.

nesses have also been embracing the World Cup spirit. Many restaurants have been showing World Cup games in their establishments and the event has taken over television advertisements and local radio stations.

“We have been [showing] the World Cup games [at our restaurant] since it began in late November,” Youlla Vellios, the co-owner of Tally Ho Restaurantnitely brings more traction to [the restaurant] and keeps customers inside and interested for longer.”

Many students have added that their days have been brighter, esCup songs being played occasionally in the hallways between classes.

“As the days go on - hearing all the World Cup music and

-

being reminded of the ongoing competitive match-ups - I am more and more excited to watch these [World Cup] games during lunchtime with my friends.”

WCHS sophomore Isaac Kaspi said. “It is 100 percent the highlight of my day.”

Despite the fact that the 2022 of the wild, in-game highlights, comebacks and upsets have proven to be very memorable for the WCHS community. Moreover, been ecstatic after hearing the announcements regarding the next host countires as it has been con-

ada and Mexico, with most games Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and more.

Although a four year wait must be endured, this announcement regarding the next World Cup has not failed to incite hope and speculation about the future.

“[Although this year’s World Cup is over], it is crazy to think held in North America,” sophomore Ethan Han said. “I cannot play again and maybe even pull through with a championship win on home turf.”

On Dec. 5, 2022, several WCHS students enjoyed an intense World Cup knockout game between Japan and Croatia while working in the library.

Starting quarterback, Justin Huebl, glances towards the football he just threw to a teammate. The WCHS