January 2020 Edition

Our mission: to enlighten and to entertain

January 24, 2020

Dulaney High School Timonium, Maryland

Volume 59, Issue 2 CREATES

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Impeachment inquiry debated

see page 9

# TO KNOW

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the number of Model UN competiton awards recieved IMPRESSES

faizah saadmim, editor n Dec. 13, the House Judiciary Commi ee voted to approve two articles of impeachment against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of congress. Subsequently, the House of Representatives held a vote on the articles of impeachment, where both articles were adopted with more than the 216 votes needed. A topical poll by Washington Post found that 48 percent of registered voters believe that President Trump should be impeached and removed from office. A similar poll by CNN shows 46 percent support that same cause.

The American population is split on whether or not the president should be impeached and removed from office. The students at Dulaney High School echo a similar sentiment of divide about the efficacy of impeachment with 51 percent supporting impeachment and 48 percent

opposing impeachment, according to an anonymous online survey of 200 students in English classes.

Senior and future voter, Benjamin Bilo, opposes the impeachment of President Trump as he be-

sarah shen, staff writer oth in the Lutherville community and beyond, there is an undeniable stratification in STEM-based jobs when it comes down to gender. At Dulaney, this is reflected a in an imbalance in certain STEM clubs and organizations.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and reinforced by anecdotes from the Dulaney population, gender in school-aged children correlates with li le to no difference in STEM performance.

Even in nations with relatively high global gender equality indices, such as the United States and Finland, the percentage of women in the workforce stagnates in the twenties. While researchers have not come to a consensus on a specific reason for this disparity, the Dulaney community has its own thoughts on the issue.

Senior Cindy Jia, one of only three female stu-

dents in this year’s AP Physics C class, emphasizes the gulf between genders in respect to the many STEM-based clubs and organizations here at Dulaney.

She explains that she considers herself fairly successful in STEM, and that most of her friends are male. “If I were in the positions of past girls in robotics...if I had no friends in [VEX] robotics, I would have 100% been too uncomfortable to stay,” Jia said.

In the same vein, senior Julia Liu, member of Math Club/National Math Honor Society and former member of Programming Club, notes that the la er was particularly male, but adds that she did not notice the disparity as much because female members grouped together.

A lack of considerable female presence may take away this security and highlight differences, rather than similarities, in these miniature communities. Though both male and female STEM

O see pages 6-7

# TO KNOW

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the number of Dulaney athletes signed to Division I schools SPIRITED

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INDEX

2-3 4-5 6-7 8-12

news opinion sports features

“If people have problems with the President, they should advise him.” lieves the impeachment inquiry is hindering the country’s well-being because politicians are engaging in in-fighting instead of working towards national unity.

graphic by Mikayla Mellis

“If people have problems with the President, they should advise him and make their opinions known instead of throwing him out entirely.

Much more could be accomplished if bipartisanship efforts were taken and the country was united,” Bilo said.

Senior Andre Gartner is currently working with a Maryland congressman who has firsthand experience with the process millions of Americans are watching on their TV screens. He describes his conclusion from the trial, confirming Trump’s allegedly unlawful actions.

“I believe the impeachment process established that Donald Trump did commit impeachable offenses,” Gartner said. “To call this process simply a partisan and unwarranted process is to ignore the findings of the investigations all together.” see IMPEACHMENT, page 2

Gender inequality in STEM persists

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club members often have an unquestionable passion for the field, having few friends in such groups can increase feelings of loneliness and undermine this passion.

Other female members of STEM clubs at Dulaney stress the significance of these groups in a key role: formation, development and nourishment of interest in the field.

Barring ample representation in these activities, it is difficult for older students and working professionals to discover new interests and talents, as well as enrich old ones.

Freshman Ying Meng is a member of VEX and FRC Robotics, as well as Maryland Science Olympiad. “They [female students] they will join a STEM club in order to gain experience and compete in a world of men,” Meng said.

After all, this is a world in which only 37% of college students graduating with a degree in STEM in 2016 were women.

FYI: Second Marking Period Ends

Congressional District Election

Alumni Basketball Game

Jan. 24

Feb. 4 school closed

Feb. 8 1 p.m. Gymnasium

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Winter Formal

Report Cards Distributed

Feb. 8 7 - 10 p.m.

Gymnasium

Feb. 11 Homeroom

Chinese New Year Gala Feb. 18 Cafeteria & Gymnasium

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news

January 24, 2020

Impeachment inquiry debated continued from page 1 With the vote counted on Dec. 18, President Trump became the third president in American history to be impeached. This historical moment is the second impeachment history teacher John Wagner has experienced. Wagner compares the political climate during former President Clinton’s impeachment with that of the current president.

“I think the atmosphere is very similar. It’s a bi erly divided, polarizing partisan issue just like the Clinton impeachment,” Wagner said. “I don’t think it’s very different at all.”

For most students, however, this is the first impeachment in their lifetime, having only read about the infamy of Watergate or Clinton’s scandal. Senior Jaweria Qazi describes her experience watching the impeachment vote.

“I feel that the impeachment of President Trump is shameful, yet monumental. It is terrible that he abused his power, but it is also historic,” Qazi said.

English teacher Maria Hiaasen has followed the impeachment inquiry carefully and is skeptical about the impact it will have in creating change.

“I have certainly paid a ention to this whole procedure and actually taken heart in it,” Hiaasen said. “Surely, when people with facts come speak, minds will be changed, but I don’t know.”

Senior Claire McGinnity has noticed future young voters like herself educating themselves with news about impeachment and being invested in the political events of the country through her project for Advanced Placement Research.

“I think young people are fairly in the know.

I have found that a lot of students are actually checking up on the current political news roughly weekly,” McGinnity said.

According to the aforementioned survey, students have actively engaged with the impeachment trial with 64.6 percent of students following the impeachment proceedings through news outlets, social media or live stream.

The major implications this impeachment will have on the 2020 election results remain to be seen. Forty-six percent of students say that Trump’s impeachment will impact their voting decision in 2020, while 54 percent believe it will not impact their vote.

Senior Justin White’s decision to vote for Donald Trump has not changed, although he was disappointed when President Trump asked Ukraine to investigate an opposing candidate, talking in context of the Russian scandal that surrounded Trump’s victory in 2020. “[Ukraine’s involvement] is the one thing I was kind of disappointed in, especially with all the recent Russia allegations in the last election,” White said. “But I will vote for Trump in the upcoming election as he gives us the best opportunity in becoming a stronger and more successful country.”

For Bilo, who identifies his political affiliation as Independent, the impeachment has greatly impacted how he will vote in the 2020 presidential election.

“Before, I was planning on voting for President Trump. Now, I will likely be voting for an Independent candidate who is not caught up in this [impeachment] rivalry.”

As the impeachment articles move to the Senate floor to begin trial, it remains to be seen if Donald Trump will be removed from office or acqui ed.

Editor Laura Hennawi contributed to this report

BCPS 2020-2021 Calendar September 8: First day of school December 23: Winter break begins at the end of the school day January 4: Schools reopen March 26: Spring break starts at the end of school April 6: Schools reopen June 23: Last day of school

jeongin kim, staff writer n November, Baltimore County officialized its new 2020-2021 school calendar. Summer will end on Sept. 8. The ten-day spring break will begin earlier from March 27 to April 6, compared to this year’s April 4 to 14. These changes will also extend school to June 23.

Robin Park, a current senior, voices her worry for next year’s students: “I understand the concern that AP (Advanced Placement) students have with starting the school later and having a longer spring break because when we account

ments like AP calculus teacher Brocha Siff,. “[There’s] not much I can change in terms of my lesson plans. I don’t think I can move any faster because there is only so much a person can process in a given time frame.”

Freshman Michelle Wang said , “I like next year’s plan. But if I were to have a concern, it would be what to use the time for classes after the AP exam since school ends later.”

A unanimous concern is how to keep students focused after APs. “Ending school on the 23rd is too far into the summer and will give students more classes that feel like filler,” Park said.

With no air-conditioning in most of the building, hot summer days usually result in the cancellation of school. But with a limited amount of time and a fixed number of required school days, working through the peak summer is unavoidable.

English teacher, Deborah Hamilton, voices her qualms.

“You can’t depend on the weather. One year a kid fainted in my class! I think the seniors are still going to be leaving at the end of May. That is really tough to keep everybody focused for three weeks. People are ready to be out.”

But Siff remarks that despite the changes, everyone will inevitably find ways to adjust.

“I have seen a lot of change over the years in teaching. Somehow we always get through even if it is not the best decision.”

New school calendar revealed

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“You can’t depend on the weather. One year a kid fainted in my class! It was so hot.” for snow days, we’ll have even less time to prepare ourselves. I think that the new schedule is not as good as the one we have this year.”

However, junior Cynthia Wang doesn’t mind the changes.

“For APs, I think it will be fine since with spring break could [be used for] self-preparation. I’m happy that I get to miss more days of school.

Who doesn’t miss sleeping in? Also, that gives me more time to spend with friends before we part ways at the end of fall.”

A bone of contention among students is how classes will work around the AP exams, but most AP teachers anticipate no major adjust-

Large class size impedes learning kai smith, staff writer hroughout the past few years at Dulaney High School, the number of students entering high school has steadily increased because of the smaller amount of high schools compared to the amount of middle schools in the county. This, in turn has caused the sizes of classes in the school to increase exponentially , while also impacting how well students learn in the more crowded environment.

The current number of students within the school system is 113,814, with 9,834 of them being teachers, so the student-teacher ratio of the schools should be around 12 students per teacher. However, with the sheer number of students a ending high school, the high schools in BCPS have more students than the rest of the country with less teachers to supplement them, resulting in larger class sizes throughout the school.

AP Economics teacher Lynda Motiram has faced direct effects of the increased class sizes.

One of Motiram’s classes has 32 students enrolled: 14 students above the recommended amount of students per teacher as suggested

by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a company that provides schools with learning resources and textbooks. While there are many difficulties in teaching a large class, one of the main problems that Motiram believes impacts her is that the larger class makes it harder for her to understand and help with every problem her students have.

“The difficulty is being effective because when you have a large group, you have difficulty

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meeting the varying needs that are in the classroom,” Motiram said.

Many studies have shown that classes with higher amounts of students tend to not learn as well as the classes that have less students. One study from the University of Berkeley affirmed the same thing as other studies: the smaller the class size, the be er the students did on tests and comprehension skills.

enjoys being around people, she recognizes that being in a larger class is harder to concentrate and do well in.

“I do like being surrounded by a lot of people because I like to be social. However, it has definitely been harder to learn topics in class than it has in the past,” Slomkowiski said.

AP Seminar teacher Maria Hiaasen has the added challenge of trying to make sure her smaller class and larger class are maintaining the same schedule for projects and assignments.

“With the [smaller class] I try to take more time for them to give each other feedback after each presentation, and with the [larger class] I started with them being able to do that, but then I had to just say okay, talk for 30 seconds at your table for what you just saw,” Hiaasen said.

Hiaasen believes that, ultimately, a smaller class can yield more information for students than a larger class can ever do, causing it to be difficult for students in the larger classes to learn with as much ease as its smaller counterpart.

“When you engage in the content, when you can talk, and you can get that affirmation from the teacher, thanks, that’s great, that’s what I needed to hear, thanks for that right answer or thanks for that wrong answer, you buy in, and you get more out of it,” Hiaasen said. “If there are more students in the class you’re not going to get that as often.”

Motiram affirms that this trend is also the case within her economics classes.

“I’ll put the grades for the 5 sections on the board, and consistently it’s my smaller classes that have the higher success rate,” Motiram said.

Senior Sophie Slomkowiski is one of the 32 students in Motiram’s largest class. While she Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

NEWS LINE SENIOR HONORED Senior Victoria Andrade was awarded a first place win on Dec. 18 in Dulaney’s schoolwide Poetry Out Loud competition with her recitation of “Fairy-tale logic” by A.E. Stallings. Andrade will go on to compete at the Maryland Regional competition.

DEBATERS AWARDED On December 21, the Dulaney Debate competed in a tournament at Notre Dame Prep, debating the benefits and harms of the US government’s use of offensive cyber operations. Of the eight teams that participated from Dulaney, 3 teams were victorious in all three rounds of their debates and received recognition. Juniors Vinay Khosla and Sophia Winner as well as Senior Robin Park and Junior Esha Singhai were awarded the bronze medal, while Juniors Alycia Wong and Jeongin Kim received the silver medal.

Teams will compete again at Centennial on January 25.

UPCOMING Dulaney Theatre Company will be performing the musical “The Addams Family” March 19, 20 and 21 at 7 p.m.. There will also be a matinee showing March 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the door. Cast members will be pre-selling tickets for the musical for $10 three weeks before openinging night.

PERFORMED Following Christmas day, Dulaney’s Lions Roar Marching Band flew to London. On December 29, select players performed at St. John’s Smith Square competitively. Then the entire band performed for the London New Years Day Parade. They marched two miles under the direction of Barry Chesky and drum majors Evie McKenny and Katie Urrutia.

EVALUATED The performing arts groups (band, orchestra, chorus and dance) are preparing for their County High School Assessments from March 4 to 10.

The annual evaluation is a county requirement, and the group will be given an overall score of one to five.

Groups that receive a one will move ahead to the State Adjudication, where the group will be evaluated again.

UPCOMING GALA The Baltimore County Chinese Schools (BCCS) will hold its annual Chinese New Year Gala at Dulaney Feb. 18. Chinese teacher and Key Club advisor Ma hew Love will host the show and operate the videography and lighting. A endees will include students who take Chinese and Dulaney Key Club volunteers who will help to operate the logistics.

January 24, 2020

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New ACT policy engenders Uighurs persecuted

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anne wang, staff writer n Oct. 8, 2019, the ACT announced a new change to their testing policy: beginning in fall 2020, students will be able to retake individual sections of the ACT where they performed poorly for a fee. This contrasts with the previous policy where students were required to retake the entire exam to improve their score. The change is intended to benefit students by sparing them from unnecessary testing time, especially on sections they do not need improvement in .

For many students, this comes as a relief to reduce the stress in of studying all sections at once to prepare for future retakes.

Senior Chansoo Park, who took both the ACT and SAT, recognizes the advantages of the new policy.

“I think it’s beneficial for students. Because the ACT is such a long test, sometimes the scores begin to drop not because of a lack of knowledge but because of fatigue. This gives students the opportunity to redo a section if that was the case,” said Park.

However, SAT tutor Henry McVeigh believes that the new policy also has many downfalls that could impact how students adapt to testing in the future.

“I think [that] part of these tests in general is the [push for] generalized successful students and adaptiveness and flexibility. If we allow greater and greater specificity, then we are deemphasizing flexibility. So, I think it comes at a li le bit of a cost, but if it helps to reduce wide-

spread anxiety, then maybe it’s for the be er,” said McVeigh.

Even with this new rule, there are mixed opinions on whether more students will prefer ACT over the SAT. “I think it’s hard to get out of the entrenched, kind of automatic assumption that you’re going to take the SAT, while the ACT is still a lot more optional to a lot of people,” said McVeigh.

Junior Joelle Szumski believes that people automatically assume that students will take the SAT, especially at Dulaney.

“Dulaney clearly favors the SAT over the ACT by offering a school-wide SAT day. I think more people are still going to take the SAT, especially here,” said Szumski.

However, Park still believes that the new policy will augment the number of people who take the ACT. “Absolutely students will prefer the ACT over the SAT. I honestly think that if more people encouraged students to take the ACT rather than the SAT more students would find success,” said Park.

However, students may find more success with the new ACT testing policy, which could potentially lead to inflated ACT test scores.

“More people would have higher standardized test scores, which is good for students, but may be more difficult for colleges to eliminate potential students” said Park.

While the policy change can benefit students, there are also downfalls due to inflated scores.

Whether the policy will stay remains a question for the future.

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chris cao, staff writer n modern history, it is unprecedented for nations to be silent when another nation violates human rights. Recently, however, the world has stayed mostly silent about China’s Uighur “re-education” camps. China—in desire to combat terrorism, pursue uniformity and gain natural resources—has breached the UN Declaration of Human Rights by imprisoning more than one million Uighurs, a Central Asian people, in order to eliminate their culture and religion.

The detainment started when the fear of Islamic radicals went mainstream in China. Reacting to 9/11 and other terrorist a acks, the government embarked on “Strike-Hard campaigns,” which cracked down on densely populated Muslim areas in China. BBC news has released satellite images of the Uighur camps, which have grown and have been expanded within the past 5 years. Reports and interviews with Uighur citizens reveal that all who pursue the religion of Islam, attend mosques or “create trouble” are imprisoned. Victim Kalida Akytkhan, when asking the Chinese government to return her detained son, lost her daughter-in-law the next day.

China claims that its camps are humane and teach Han culture (majority ethnic group). Foreign Minister Wang Yi defends the camps stating that they prevent terrorist activity. China hasn’t “had a single case of terrorism in 3 years. The education and training centers are schools that help the people free themselves from terrorism and extremism and acquire useful skills,” he reports. Victims of the camps say

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otherwise. Many report harassment, torture and malnourishment.

Why have nations stayed silent?

Countries have not responded because of China’s global economic power. As the largest exporter in the world and trades with 214 nations, China is so vital to the economy that if China stops all exports, the world economy would collapse. Due to their dependencies on Chinese markets, SyndiGate researchers have found 14 Muslim nations to be outspoken in praises for China’s crackdown on terrorism.

Some nations, such as Turkey, have tried to criticize China but are outnumbered by the unwavering support from many nations, most of them being Muslim countries. The U.S. House of Representatives has also generated action in the “Uighur Human Rights Policy Act,” which calls for U.S. government bodies such as the State Department or the Federal Bureau of Intelligence to give reports on China’s treatment of the Uighurs. These bodies are asked to learn more about the detainments, such as the number of individuals imprisoned and any propaganda on the topic.

The act directly aligns with the analysis by Christopher Karwacki, a world history teacher at Dulaney High School.

“There’s just not enough information on this topic- a formal investigation and analysis is needed,” Karwacki said.

Although few nations have offered up a response to the camps, responses open the pathway to more involvement and action by other nations: a step closer to action.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Response to: “Ugh...Jimmy Fallon” Dear Editor, I would like to offer my opinion and an additional perspective surrounding the views expressed in the article “Ugh…Jimmy Fallon” Nov 22. While I find most of the points addressed in the article valid, such as the question and answer format of Fallon’s show, I believe that the article only focused on the flaws of his interviewing skills instead of what makes “The Tonight Show” one of the most watched shows in the late-night time slot. While Fallon does struggle at times to exercise advanced interviewing skills compared to Conan, James Corden, and Graham Norton, I believe that he exhibits talent to continue the legacy of legendary hosts of the original late-night show.

Additionally, I would like to reference the final paragraph of the article, where the “games” Fallon plays are mentioned. It is common for late-night hosts to fill time in their show with segments that do not contain interviews.

For example, James Corden plays “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts”, and Jimmy Kimmel is constantly pulling people off Hollywood Blvd., to play games in a game show format.

So, to describe Fallon as “a spineless shell” is unfair because of his similarities to many other late-night hosts. Fallon has continued to lead ratings among late-night shows, from what many accredit to a unique theme and a high level of respect from viewers and other notable names in show business.

Sincerely, Cooper Woest, grade 11

Response to: “Social Media: Elevating Envy” Dear Editor, There is no doubt that over the past few years, with development of technology, that we as a society have become addicted to our phones. The fact that a notification on our home-screen can increase our endorphins is frightening, but it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Yes, individuals that have social media typically create excuses as to why owning a variety of different profiles is crucial to their wellbeing, but that is when the internet is being looked at as a toxic environment.

There are multiple uses for social media other than competing for likes. Many people follow those they look up to as role models, whether it be actors, artists or political figures and use this as a way to feel connected to them. Social media is also used for mass communication purposes. A multitude of organizations and companies utilize the well-known platforms to spread information to the public about events or news that is critical for them to know.

There are also more enjoyable and positive aspects of social media that are taken for granted. Hundreds of landmarks from around the world are shared every day on the internet for the viewing pleasure of the public. There are millions of pictures of cute animals at our finger tips waiting to be clicked on when we are in a bad mood. The ability to reminisce on the past 10 years in a span of 10 minutes by clicking a tab should be something that is taken advantage of and looked at as a positive thing.

Society has created this idea that social media is harmful to us and our wellbeing, when in reality, if you look at it in a new way, you see that it can bring joy to those who choose to use it.

Sincerely, Carolyn Twomley, grade 11

Our mission: To enlighten and to entertain Dulaney High School, 255 E. Padonia Rd. Timonium, MD 21093 dulaneygriffin@bcps.org Student population: 1,923 Staff population: 160 The Griffin prints 1,500 to 2,000 copies of each edition. These are distributed during homeroom on the fourth Friday of November, January, March, and May. Extras may be found in room 113.

A Columbia Scholastic Press Association member The Griffin’s mission is to enlighten and entertain.

Jan. 24, 2020 Volume 59, Issue 2

January 24, 2020 february 19, 2016

Redefining our morals dylan mccabe, editor he incomprehensible power of a moral compass cannot be measured. It is a fundamental virtue to the framework of individualized character. It has been a driving force of civilization for all of time and has been responsible for the humanitarianism that drives all of mankind.

Psychologist Johnathon Haidt equivocated its exceptional power in his novel The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.

“Morality binds people into groups.

It gives us tribalism, it gives us genocide, war, and politics. But it also gives us heroism, altruism, and sainthood,” Haidt said.

But in the realm of economics, each decision made based off this compass poses a fundamental question: Who decides the standards of morally based charity?

Monotheistic religions such as Islam and Judaism have previously tried codifying charitable law in the form of Zakat and Tzedakah. But what authority do religious texts have over the individual judgment of moral criterion? Countless ethical dilemmas concerning economic decisionmaking have stemmed from the

universal characteristics of morality, especially one question which sharply divides the public: who has the right determine whether or not you should make charitable donations?

Each moral decision is individual and is formulated based on one’s upbringing and genetics. Moral obligation does not drive humanity, but rather hinders the natural mindset.

There is no basis to decide the morality of one’s actions other than their own conscious.

While it is deemed by society “good” to help the less fortunate based on the principles of societal norms, there should be no obligation to give anything at all. Free will in Western Civilization is one of the few ideas that separates America from a totalitarian-socialist state. “Beneficial” government enforced citizen payments to the less fortunate are a beautiful lie--they are draped in a false sense of mission to command individuals to be charitable.

Unsubstantiated enforced morality exists across the country, specifically in high school. In order to graduate, it is required to have completed 100 hours of service. This mandatory obligation continues to be shrouded in mystery, as there is no valid reason

as to why these requirements have been put in place. Are the volunteer activities which met the requirement even analyzed? Should this truly earn the right of passage for each student?

I firmly believe that the incorporation of a moral standard into the education system is a façade, orchestrated by the work of con-artists to justify growth in students. Forcing vague and useless tasks upon students does not accurately reflect moral growth, nor does it encourage self-initiative and independence in a real-world environment.

Morally based volunteering should be up to students in every sense of the word. It is important that as humans we do not lose sight of the true test of morality. By transcending the prevalent societal norms spurred by institutionalization, we will encourage self-actualization and usher in a sense of individual pride rather than appeal to societal criterion.

The importance of preserving individuality cannot be understated. If our resolution, that remains true to the American principles, becomes tainted with authoritarian measures, we will descend into a state of anar-

alycia wong, staff writer crunchies, over-sized t-shirts, and shell necklaces – 90’s girls have reincarnated and rebranded themselves as VSCO girls. Only this time, they are single-handedly saving the environment.

The app VSCO was intended to be a stress-free platform, abstained from likes and followers, for people to share their photography.

Recently, however, it has become a new social media outlet for young girls who use the app’s features to post and “republish” relatable content. Eventually, the same things were becoming idealized and certain personality traits and characteristics rose in popularity. VSCO girls are flawless with a dash of quirky; the “I’m perfect but I’m also not like other girls” persona.

The road to becoming a VSCO girl consists of owning an absurd number of scrunchies as well as a Hydroflask, a specific brand of stainless steel, reusable water bo le. What has had

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tremendous influence, however, is the reusable straw trend.

A picture arose of a turtle whose nose had been impaled by a plastic straw. VSCO girls, being the selflessheroes they are, took it upon themselves to include “environmental activism” in their resume. Preaching to “save the turtles,” these girls have impressively influenced brands such as Starbucks and Disney to ban the forsaken weapons completely. While good intentioned, banning plastic straws have done more harm than good.

This trend has created a savior complex. The idea is that if you put a metal straw in your plastic cup, you are making the world a be er place and are freed from the guilt of being a climate change-contributor. The fact is, that cup is still made of plastic.

That car still runs on gasoline. Those papers could have been recycled instead of thrown away. However, all of that can be disregarded because using metal straws saves the turtles! What

about the poachers and exploiters you ask? I don’t know. What about them?

Plastic straws are only a tiny fraction of ocean pollution and an even tinier fraction of what is contributing to climate change. Let’s say the environment is on stage, and the main actors are transportation, industries, and electricity. Plastic straws are a single prop on that stage, yet it’s the only thing the audience is paying attention to.

While yes, small issues ma er as well and any change is good change, but let us keep in mind that the new Starbucks cups omi ing the straw opening have more plastic than the original model and is all a marketing strategy under the guise of environmental empathy. What ma ers is the kind of change that is being made and redirect the focus to bigger issues.

Although VSCO girls have made it seem like the turtles are the ones protected from danger, the only thing that has actually been saved are scrunchie companies from bankruptcy.

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by an extradition bill where criminals in Hong Kong could be sent to mainland to be tried in court. The bill has been suspended, but protestors, still furious, have expanded their demands to include democratic reforms.

The protests taking place in Hong Kong have been mostly peaceful, although some have turned violent.

Government officials creating controversy are to blame for the escalation in violence. A policeman shot another protester at close range and an 18-year-old was shot in the chest.

Chinese officials are further hinting at a violent strike against pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong “Those who play with fire will perish by it. Don’t ever misjudge the situation and mistake our restraint for weakness,” said one Chinese official.

The protestors’ efforts to achieve democracy are undeniably valid. These threats on the protestors are analogous to a threat to the United States.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, also feels as if the actions taken by China have been extreme. He signed two bills supporting the Hong Kong protestors: the first bill would impose sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong. The second bill bans the sale of crowd-control weaponry, such as tear gas and rubber bullets.

Threats to democracy should not be taken as a joke and the recent infringement upon the democratic rights Hong Kong citizens have received are inhumane and a response from the United States is critical..

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chy and subjugation.

VSCO girls and plastic straws

Democratic beliefs face destruction jeffrey yang, staff writer merican ideology has a new major opponent in 2019. No, the Soviet Union hasn’t resurfaced. No, North Korea hasn’t had any new developments relating to the United States. The major opponent facing American democracy is China.

Hong Kong is a former British colony that was given back to China in 1997. At the time of signing, China’s communist leaders agreed to a “one country, two systems” arrangement where China would remain communist and Hong Kong would retain democratic practices, including freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. Yet these rights have been infringed upon as a result of the protests in Hong Kong.

Protests in Hong Kong were evoked

editors geoffrey dochat, laura hennawi, dylan mccabe, morgan pierce, fazaih saadmim, emily zhu advisors cassandra eppers, dylan steiner

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The Griffin welcomes story ideas, commentaries and letters to the editor. These may be brought to room 113, placed in Cassandra Epper’s mailbox in the office or emailed to dulaneygriffin@bcps.org. All submissions are subject to editing and must be signed. The Griffin Editorial Board makes all final decisions regarding content.

The staff editorial reflects the thoughts of the Griffin staff, but all other opinon pieces reflect individuals’ views, not the paper’s.

Interested in advertising in The Griffin or purchasing any photos seen in this issue? Use the same contact information.

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opinion

January 24, 2020 october 23, 2015

Hype culture evolves marketing laura hennawi, editor he interconnectedness of the world in the 21st century continues to rise as technology advances. Powerful companies and people are more informed about us and our data than ever before, but this should not come as a surprise.

As expected, companies and businesses have acknowledged this change in the past twenty years. They have taken advantage of our increased reliance on the internet to expand their reach over target markets, especially e-commerce. Amazon, a pioneer of e-commerce, has epitomized seizing this opportunity, as evidenced by their overpowering of traditional brick-andmortar stores. Its increased dominance has exacerbated the demise of retailers like Barnes & Noble or Macy’s.

Social media’s influence on consumer habits has also evolved as we have become more reliant on it for entertainment. We voice our opinions on what we enjoy and what we dislike. We follow and subscribe to our favorite entertainers, and we mute those for which we don’t care. We comment on whose outfit is best at an award show and whose outfit fails to impress This new idea of “hype” in trends has been bolstered by the ease for people to vocalize their opinions online, and

when there is a new—and cheap—way to assess people’s wants for more sales, businesses will take it.

The convenient access to the market’s opinions is why companies like Fashion Nova and Shein have risen to success; fast fashion in rapid manufacturing has allowed them to quickly adapt to trends that suit the current “hype”

geoffrey dochat, editor n February of 2019, VICE News published a documentary which followed animal rights extremist group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). DxE’s co-founder, Wayne Cheung, is the leader of most of their protests, which endorse civil disobedience as well as trespassing and theft. Cheung, if convicted, will face 60 years in prison due to his actions in May 2018: breaking-and-entering of a farm, filming the inside of the facility and stealing a piglet.

Clearly, DxE hasn’t learned anything from the charges against their beloved leader. VICE followed the group on their latest protest: a forced entry into a California chicken-farm Although I don’t identify as a vegan or vegetarian, I still support animal rights. All livestock should be kept in safe, non-abusive enclosures that provide them a feeling of freedom, and not crammed in a cage in a warehouse.

However, I do not believe their rights apply to providing us with a necessary aspect of our survival.

In nature, does a shark not eat a fish?

A lion not eat a zebra? Do you think that those predators ever stopped to ask themselves: Did I violate my food’s rights?

Animals eating those below them in the food chain is a natural act. A bunch of pouty millennials ge ing sentimental

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over a cow’s feelings does not give them the right to condemn us for performing a natural act.

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ments as “groundbreaking,” a empting to persuade the audience that these tiny changes are essential to us. The new iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max now consist of three cameras on the back of the phone.

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“They have taken advantage of our increased reliance on the internet . . .” of the market. For example, days after Kim Kardashian was pictured in a dress, Fashion Nova was able to massproduce and sell the same style of Kardashian’s designer dress for a lower price. Using people’s voiced opinions allows Fashion Nova to curate themselves for the market quickly before the trend dies, enabling a continuous cycle of mass-produced, trendy clothing that fades as the trend does.

Social media has also changed marketing through the connections created between a business and its consum-

ers, this sense of connection to a company—or even a person—laying the groundwork for an unbreakable loyalty. From Twi er-friendly brands pumping out memes by the hour to “influencers” selling branded merchandise in minutes, people feel as though these corporations and brands are relatable. Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson–disregarding the entertainers’ controversies–were able to cultivate this connection; an idea they introduced for a makeup pale e became a product, and by filming the process of production and design, they were able to make the audience feel a bond to the pale e that led them to purchase it. I can’t speak for makeup connoisseurs about the quality of the pale e, but from the numbers they provided, it performed greatly; the way they built a “hype” around the product through this loyalty ultimately allowed them to sell enormous quantities and generate immense revenue.

As technology continues to grow and innovation continues to develop, the way commerce adapts to our fastpaced world is compelling. For now, Netflix will keep tweeting subpar relatable content for the masses, and YouTubers will continue to sell you their merchandise. Why? Because it works.

Extremism promotes disobedience

illustration by Tony Senatore Video of DxE breaking in to the farm showed the populous cages that had easily accessible water and feed troughs.

Contrary to the footage, the rioters said that “they [had] no access to water” and that the chickens are living in “unsuitable conditions.” As presented by the owner of the farm towards the end of the documentary, the farm is evaluated by three separate inspection companies.

They must be doing something right because the farm is still in business.

The protestors proceed to grab as many chickens as they can, ripping mothers

away from their unhatched eggs. I had to research how chicken’s eggs hatch because I’m no expert. And let me tell you, neither are members of DxE. For an egg to hatch successfully and produce a healthy chick, the mother must sit on the egg for 21 days to regulate a necessary temperature of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. In short, the protesters just killed hundreds of unhatched chicks by stealing their mother for what they consider a just cause.

I’m not going to argue against the mistreatment of animals. I know it happens. There are companies that mistreat their livestock, but to accuse the entire industry of commi ing mass negligence is absurd to say the least. Factory-farms have in the past been suspected of placing animals in abusive environments.

They focus on increased production rates to provide cheaper alternatives to the more organic options on the market. They should be checked, but not by some rag-tag group of smug civilians that put their beliefs on a pedestal.

There are logical ways of going about resolving the issue of animal abuse.

Farms are constantly monitored by health inspectors and groups like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

I say we leave it to the professionals on this, and not a empt to go above the law to solve a problem that may not even be there.

Apple’s redundance aggravates buyers carolyn twomley, staff writer he quick modernization of society popularized having the latest and greatest technology. When Apple unveils its new devices, it seems like they are either over the top with new bells and whistles or include one minor detail that is advertised as a life altering. The level of extravagance with the products never comes in the form of a happy medium—it’s always too much or not enough.

I was captivated by the announcement of the new AirPods Pro. The original AirPods came in compact, sleek case with the earpieces held in place by magnets to ensure they are secure. The only change from the original AirPods is that there is an additional silicone add-on to the ear piece. Their newly designed case is larger and more oddly shaped than the palm-sized case of the first AirPods.

Apple advertises these minor advance-

picture courtesy of Vinay Khosla Played off as a crucial feature for all your picture-taking needs, the reality of this new feature seems only to be added to give the phone a “unique” aesthetic to set it apart from its competitors. Al-

though it may appeal to avid photographers, it doesn’t really justify the $1,000 price tag.

At the same time, the variety of colors that the phones come in are also very a ractive to the consumer’s eye, and Apple knows this. The iPhone 11 comes in six new colors: black, white, red, purple, green and yellow. As if it wasn’t obvious, any protective case will hide the color of the phone and mask your style.

After last year’s significant drop in sales for the iPhone X due to the sheer cost of the phone, Apple reevaluated their pricing to accommodate for those who didn’t want to pay upwards of $300 more for an upgrade of the product they already have and created a starting price of $700 for the iPhone 11.

Apple’s focus on appealing toward modern generations has taken over the design of its products. Being set on creating more efficient ways to complete simple tasks has become excessive.

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this just in

Star Wars and politics

geoffrey dochat and dylan mccabe, editors Editor’s Note: This piece was wri en to merely point out a flaw in a beloved movie franchise. If you are a Disney fanboy or fangirl you may want to stop right here. There will also be spoilers for the recent Star Wars trilogy ahead.

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long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars became a staple of pop-culture. The original trilogy redefined cinema through its revolutionary special effects, stellar character development and universal themes. What kept bringing fans back was the idea of hundreds of alien species in space facing off in incredible wars for what’s best for the universe.

The futuristic weapons, the magical powers and the destructive force of the Galactic Empire. Oh, how the times have changed.

Disney’s 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm, the studio that created the sci-fi series, left Star Wars fans concerned as Disney’s reputation was not one anyone would associate with the franchise. Fans disapproved of this transition and were highly skeptical of Disney’s ability to recreate the nostalgia and excitement they were used to. These fears were later justified as the new trilogy has been one nightmare after the next.

Lucasfilm’s president, Kathleen Kennedy, acts as if there have never been strong women in film. With her control over the series, she has advocated for more women role. Rose Tico, a female character in the story, is quite possibly the most hated character of all time.

Not only did she risk the entire universe to save a group of space-camels from being forced to race at an intergalactic casino, but she later risks the entire goodguy team by preventing the sacrifice of John Boyega’s character, Finn.

The arguments of men being “scared of female roles” and only wanting to see males as a lead character are simply false. We have no problem with female-leads, we just want them to make the story interesting. “The Hunger Games,” “Wonder Woman,” “The Matrix” and the “Terminator” movies are all great examples of fierce women protagonists that are praised by critics and movie-goers alike.

On paper, more women in film is a great idea, but Disney’s execution of it has been a disaster. Directors live in fear of persecution for not representing every gender, race and sexual orientation in their films and it shows in the reviews.

Disney’s choice to utilize nostalgia while implementing new characters disheartened fans. Reigniting their love for classic characters only to kill them off was a horrible choice to make, and it is absurd to think that fans would embrace this. Coupled with fans’ frustration over forced character roles and underlying political messages, Disney has completely disregarded what Star Wars should be about.

What frustrated fans the most is that the force, a Jedi’s power, has become a joke. The pre-Disney movies depicted the force as a sacred ability harnessed through vigorous training. The new trilogy’s lead character Rey, a female, is seen as someone who has potential to become a force-user. However, her character undermines every rule in this regard, as she develops an immense power simply on her own. Defeating two of the strongest force-users in the galaxy and using a healing power that no other character has ever used in Star Wars history have only furthered Disney’s abandonment of the logical continuity in the Star Wars universe that fans expect.

Many people label the Star Wars fandom as toxic, claiming their hatred for Disney is unwarranted and useless. This couldn’t be more wrong. We say the things we say because we don’t want to see this beloved franchise become corrupted by political and social ideals. It’s not just about Star Wars, it’s about watching ignorant executives forcing their agendas on dissenting audiences.

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the griffin

sports

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VARSITY

A silent leader

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grace monacelli, staff writer unior Emily Mowbray is a role model for her teammates on and off the track. Mowbray has been part of the Dulaney Indoor Track team since her freshman year as a pole vaulter and sprinter. According to her coaches and teammates, Mowbray is a perfect fit for the team. Teammate Carmen Roy has been competing photo by grace monacelli with Mowbray in track and field and field hockey together since their freshman year and has go en the chance to experience the best Mowbray has to offer on and off the field.

“She is always doing the right thing, and always someone you can look to,” said Roy. Mowbray herself agreed with Roy. “I’m pre y quiet and introverted... but I still try my best to lead the other girls on the team,”said Mowbray.

Head coach of the track and field team, Eric Benjamin, would also agree with Roy’s sentiments.

“I would describe her a dedicated, hardworking, responsible athlete,” said Benjamin.

Mowbray is a leader for the team that athletes can look to for example. As the team prepared for their first meet on Fri, Dec. 6, 2019, Mowbray modeled the poise and confidence the team needed to be victorious—and they were as they took the second place prize!

“I am confident going into the meet. I feel like we’re pretty well prepared honestly,” said Mowbray.

Since most of the team has been competing together since the summer, Mowbray believes the girls trust in each other and that will be their secret to outcompeting their competition.

Aside from track and field in the winter, Mowbray participates in field hockey and lacrosse. She has been a member of the varsity lacrosse squad since her freshman year and she has been on the varsity field hockey team since her sophomore year.

After high school, Mowbray hopes to continue her athletic career in lacrosse.

“I know I want to go to college and play a sport, but I don’t know what I’ll want to major in yet,” said Mowbray.

Mowbray plans to continue participating in track and field, lacrosse and field hockey through her senior year.

She is excited to play a few more seasons with her best friends and be part of her teammates’ successes!

“Sports here are just a lot of fun and the girls I play with always become like a family,” said Mowbray As her track career continues, Mowbray will continue to embody the grace Dulaney athletes are prided for!

JUNIOR VARSITY

Cultivating beauty through cheer

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sophia paranzino, staff writer heerleaders work to support and encourage the rest of the school through their rallying cheers and pepfilled moves. One cheerleader in particular, sophomore Ma ie Mueller, exemplifies this ideal and is an integral part to the motivation of Dulaney athletes.

Although Mueller only started cheering in the fall of her freshphoto by sophia paranzino man year, she already stands out as an athlete on her team and enjoys the time she spends cheering.

Through the fall and winter season, Mueller has been a leader to her fellow cheerleaders, moving them with her energy for cheerleading and encouraging them to be their best.

“Because of her love for cheer, she motivates us to do better,” said teammate Makiyah Knight.

Cheerleading meets after school daily to practice their routines. Although the intensive practices can be tiring, Mueller finds the work worthwhile.

“Cheerleading is a lot of effort but it’s really worth it in the end… it is rewarding to be able to see the end result of our hard work,” said Mueller.

While Mueller may not choose to continue cheerleading throughout all of high school, the impact she has so far made on the team will leave a lasting impression.

“She tries to gather everyone to try to get us to do be er.

She creates a bond with us so we can all be friends,” said Knight.

Throughout the hard work of practices, Mueller has led her team to encourage and motivate all of the various Dulaney sports.

As Mueller said, “In cheerleading, you work hard to make something beautiful.”

January march24, 18,2020 2016

Returning state finalists s T

griffin tunison, staff writer he Dulaney Basketball team is back in action for the 2019-2020 winter season. The team looks to follow up their state semifinals finish last year. They aim to follow up their state semifinals finish last year with a new vision and strength: depth. With 15 players on the roster, each athlete needs to be ready to go in the game and be productive, hence why the depth of the lions is so important.

Dulaney Basketball is run by head coach Ma Lochte. Lochte puts his heart and soul into the team by doing whatever he can to prepare his team for success. This year marks 21 years for Lochte coaching basketball and he’s “just as excited this year” as he was in his first season.

Lochte said that his favorite part about coaching is that he “loves seeing these young guys develop,” including his players as well as his kids at home. Lochte continues to work hard in practices and in meetings to make his team as successful as possible, while raising two future lions at the same time.

On the court, the team runs through dynamic point guard Ryan Conway who surpassed 1000 points in his sophomore season last year. Conway has made a name for himself and is seeing a lot of interest from Division I schools like Seton Hall and Stanford. Conway continues to elevate his game on his way to becoming one of the premier players in Maryland. He came in at number four on Prep Hoops’ 2021 Maryland state rankings and has high aspirations for the team this year, hoping to make it all the way to

the state championship game. Conway also believes that his court vision and overall defense has improved over the offseason by pu ing a ton of work in at the gym.

The team has many new additions to the team including Crevon Adams, Jaylin Drumgold, DJ Green, Isaiah Oluajayi, Brendyn Pierce, Jaylen Williams and Jordan Wenzl. These athletes play a major role in the depth aspect to the team which is crucial for high school basketball. With fatigue and potential foul trouble in play, the players coming off the bench are vital to a team’s success.

“I can trust any one of our 15 guys to go out and do their job…having good team depth is what wins games and that’s exactly what we are doing right now,” said senior Cole McGee. Conway echoes McGee’s observation of the team’s depth.

“What makes the team special is the togetherness we have as a program and how everyone is willing to put the program before themselves,” said Conway.

Along with Conway, Lochte expects the impact of players like Cam Byers, Cole McGee, Jaylin Webster, Jaylen Amoruso and Ethan Anderson to increase drastically. With Byers and McGee being the athletic big men in the middle and Webster, Amoruso and Anderson being electric guards with lots of speed and strength, Dulaney bringing tough competetion for opponents to contain all of these dynamic playmakers.

2019 fall synopsis

grace monacelli, staff writer As the fall seasons have officially come to an end, let’s look at a recap of our athletes’ success!

Badminton The Dulaney Badminton team had a successful season as they only had one loss out of nine games. The team had a be er record than that of any other team in their division for the 2019 fall season.

Cross Country After running off a winning season, Dulaney swept the Baltimore Cross Country Championships on Oct. 19. The top 10 runners from Dulaney continued their season on to win regional and state titles!

Cheerleading In addition to supporting our fall athletes during the fall season, the Dulaney Fall Cheerleaders competed at Newton High on Oct. 4 and placed in the top 10 overall.

Field Hockey Dulaney’s Field Hockey team closed their regular season with 11 wins and one loss. In their post season, the team made it to the state championships on Nov. 9, where they lost to Severna Park 1-0.

Football The Varsity Football team made it to the second round of playoffs for the first time in over five years. They faced off against Catonsville on Oct. 12, where they were defeated 21-19 in the final few minutes of the last quarter.

Men’s Golf Men’s Golf had a victorious season coming out champions in all eight of their conference matches. Following their conference season, they continued to place first in districts and counties and eleventh in states.

Women’s Golf The Women’s Golf team began their season defeating Hereford 184-206. From then on, they faced some tough competitors and although they were not victorious in every match, coach Jamie Bare said the girls gave it their all.

Allied Soccer The Allied Soccer team won all but one of their games to Hereford on Oct. 23. They were number one in the county, ending their season with a total of 26 goals scored.

Men’s Soccer Men’s Soccer brought home a regional title for the first time since 2002. Their conference season record was 6-6 with a total of 18 goals scored against the opposition.

Women’s Soccer Women’s Soccer ended their season with five wins and seven losses. They defeated Catonsville 1-0 in their first playoff game and lost to Perry Hall in the second-round.

Women’s Volleyball The Women’s Volleyball team ended their regular season with a 9-2 conference record. They continued on to the state-semi’s game where they lost to Western High. The woman’s team made it farther than the volleyball team has since 2016!

Editor Morgan Pierce contributed to this piece

Above left: 2019-2020 Varisty Cheerleading Team Above right: Dulaney’s student section “lit up the court” during the run out prior to the Dec. 13 game versus Towson.

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photos by john bowers

the griffin

January 24, 2016 2020 march 18,

nalists shooting for victory

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athletes

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VARSITY

Sophomore perseveres

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Above: 2019-2020 Varisty Men’s Basketball Team Left: Junior Ryan Conway breaks through the defensive barrier to complete a successful layup.

Right: Playing against Towson, junior Jaylen Amoruso solidifies two more points towards Dulaney’s 92-55 win. photos by john bowers

New ruling ignites optimism

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sarah shen and cooper woest, staff writers n Oct. 29, 2019, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released a statement expressing the intention to allow athletes to be compensated for their names and likenesses.

Michael Drake, NCAA board chair, believes that the decision is essential.

“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Drake said.

The idea of compensation for college athletes has become a highly debated topic that seems to leave both athletes and college institutions frustrated.

Among those struggling with this balance is NCAA President Mark Emmert.

“Structuring a model for allowing students to monetize a name, image and likeness while maintaining some recruiting balance is one of the biggest and hardest issues that everyone’s dealing with,” Emmert said.

The NCAA has created a reputation as an organization that condemns any sort of profit that athletes gain from sports. In the past, it even barred athletes from participating in fantasy sports and filling out March Madness brackets. After California decided to allow compensation of in-state universities’ athletes, the NCAA pushed back, informally excluding these schools from future NCAA competitions. And in recent years, the NCAA has deemed staff members of Adidas-sponsored colleges in violation of rules enriching NCAA players.

However, according to the National College Players Association, 86 percent of college athletes live below the poverty line and many cannot pay for their own equipment. Many collegiate-level athletes spend hours each day studying or

practicing, allowing for li le time for themselves. Even on full or partial scholarship, they live on limited money from their families because their schedules do not allow time for employment.

Specific financial issues are evident in football, the NCAA’s highest grossing sport, a power-five coach has an average salary of $3.8 million, while the players themselves exert the majority of the effort for no pay. The NCAA, which has a reported revenue of over $1 billion, has received tremendous positive feedback from relieved student-athletes following its recent decision.

This new precedent has impacted Dulaney’s varsity athletics program, with recruited athletes from both Division I and Division III programs echoing nationwide sentiment.

Senior Cole McGee is a D-III baseball recruit at Washington College.

“I believe it’s a decision that has been needed for a while.

College athletes were the only people who couldn’t make money off their name,” McGee said.

Fellow senior Anna Simoes, D-III field hockey recruit at York College of Pennsylvania, agrees.

“This is a good opportunity for athletes if they want to take advantage of it and I have nothing against that,” Simoes said.

Both McGee and Simoes, along with senior Bridget Kelly, D-I lacrosse recruit at Elon University, emphasize their passion for their respective sports, explaining that the decision has not changed their long-term plans.

“I believe that it’s not about earning money; it’s about playing the sport for the genuine passion and love for playing it.

But at the same time, players who need an income need to be supported somehow,” Kelly said.

Missing: Lamar Jackson

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dylan mccabe, editor he Baltimore Ravens have had a remarkable season.

They have ba led their way to 14-2 and earned the one seed in the American Football Conference (AFC) rightfully so. Despite the success of the Ravens and their Most Valuable Player (MVP) caliber quarterback, Lamar Jackson, on Jan. 12, 2020 the Ravens fell victim to the Tennessee Titans, in a 28-12 upset.

During the regular season, the Ravens offense wasn’t the problem. There is no doubt that the Ravens offense was a multi-dimensional freight train that seems almost unstoppable. They were in fact the first team in National Football League (NFL) history to average 200 rush and 200 pass yards per game. It was rather the susceptibility of the Ravens run defense that jeopardized their Superbowl hopes. There is no denying the Cleveland Browns are a train wreck of an organization. Despite this, Cleveland running back Nick Chubb ran for a staggering 165 yards and three touchdowns against the Ravens to ultimately defeat them 40-25. Although the Ravens had added all professional defensive assets such as defensive back Marcus Peters since this embarrassing loss, their defense was still deceptively mediocre. For example, 49ers running back, Raheem Mostert, also gashed the Ravens

run defense, racking up 146 yards and a touchdown in week 12. While Baltimore is third in points allowed and fourth in total yards allowed, this can be a ributed to Baltimore’s rundominated offense, which led the NFL in time of possession.

This kept their defense off the field. As the Ravens faced off against the NFL rush yard leader, Derrick Henry, who ran for 186 yards the week prior to stun the defending NFL champion New England Patriots, it was no surprise Henry was able to run all over the Ravens, totaling a whopping 195 rushing yards when the final whistle blew.

Lamar Jackson had an MVP type season, yet just last year the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Ravens 23-17, in what was considered an abysmal performance from Lamar Jackson.

Against the Titans, Lamar reciprocated the disappointment of the 2019 playoffs, as he was almost obsolete in gaining momentum. Jackson threw two interceptions and only one touchdown. Lamar Jackson is yet to prove himself in the playoffs, and it is evident that he is yet to develop the playoff gene that greats such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Joe Montana all possess. Unfortunately, Lamar’s promise on draft night to bring the Lombardi trophy back to Baltimore will once again be unfulfilled this year.

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griffin tunison, staff writer ophomore James Fi simmons adores the sport of wrestling and values the intensity and passion that comes with the sport. Fi simmons is one of the three captains on the team this year.

It didn’t take long for Fi simmons to fall in love with the sport, he has been wrestling photo by griffiin tunison since he was a li le kid and attending clinics, camps and out of school programs.

Coach Sco Asher admires the leadership that Fi simmons brings to the team.

“He is always willing to show and moves to the JV wrestlers. He is able to explain the positions and how to break the moves down so they understand them,” said Asher.

Fi simmons fell short of qualifying for the state tournament last season. He is now as determined as ever to reach that goal and believes he has had the proper preparation to get himself to that position. Fi simmons is focused on “winning one match at a time,” he said.

Fi simmons realizes his importance to the wrestling program and is determined to perform well for both himself and his teammates.

“James is a great wrestler who comes in before others to set up the mats and cares about the team as a whole,” said teammate Noah Dow. Dow also mentioned Fi simmons’ exceptional work ethic that has allowed him to get where he is now.

The sport of wrestling requires maximum concentration and skill in order to be successful. Fi simmons’ hours of practices and preparation have aided him in his success.

With most of the wrestling starting lineup graduating last year, Fi simmons expects the team to “grow a lot” and for “the kids who weren’t starting last year to step up.”

Fi simmons gets his motivation from upperclassmen with their work ethic and dedication to the sport.

“They are always pushing me and the rest of the team to work harder in the room,” said Fi simmons.

One of Fi simmons’ favorite things about the Dulaney wrestling program is the culture that has been built within the team. Winning isn’t always their number one priority, instead they focus more on about developing skills as a wrestler and an athlete.

“The wins will come if you’re focused on the right stuff,” said Fi simmons.

Fi simmons continues on his journey to the state match, ge ing be er by day. Fi simmons makes Dulaney Wrestling be er both on the mat and off, making him the true defi nition of a Dulaney athlete. Fi simmons hope to continue his so far very successful Dulaney Wrestling career.

JUNIOR VARSITY

The Unger-dog

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jeffrey yang, staff writer ith a year under his belt, small forward Noah Unger is prepared to to dominate the court.

Before high school, Unger had been playing soccer for most of his life. After discovering basketball, he fell in love with the sport. According to Men’s Journal, most athletes who switch sports are expected to have a learning curve, but Unger has photo by jeffrey yang exceeded even his coach’s expectations. “[Unger] ended up being a really good role player, coming in as a freshman, playing a bigger role than we originally anticipated, knowing the talent we have on the team,” said Coach James Dickey.

Even with all the praise Unger has received, he is still looking to grow. Over the summer, Unger practiced with different teams and Dickey to help improve his basketball skills.

“During the summer, I worked with Noah a couple of times [to work on] ge ing him stronger . . . developing a consistent 10 to 15-footer [and] him also having the basketball because sometimes he might have to play out of position and do a li le bit of dribbling,” said Dickey.

Unger puts in the time to back up his confidence as well.

He goes to practice on time each day, works hard, and even tries to stay after games to shoot extra shots. Unger has been practicing more and looks forward to having even be er performances in the rest of the season.

This year, Unger is a returning player and will be looking to play a variety of positions, including the shooting guard, the small forward and the power forward. Unger has clearly shown this progression over the past year and desires to help lead his team to win counties this year.

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features

the griffin

Janurary 24, 2020

The trends of the 2010s: staff picks Top 10 Apps of the Decade by: Anna Albergo

10: Subway Surfers 9: Google Maps 8: Fruit Ninja 7: Temple Run 2 6: Lyft 5: Candy Crush Saga 4: Tik Tok 3: Instagram 2: Snapchat 1: YouTube

Top 10 Songs of the Decade by: Sophie Sturiale

2010: Baby by Justin Bieber 2011: Firework by Katy Perry 2012: Gangnam Style by PSY 2013: Thrift Shop by Macklemore 2014: Shake it off by Taylor Swift 2015: Hotline Bling by Drake 2016: Closer by The Chainsmokers 2017: Despacito by Luis Fonsi 2018: SICKO MODE by Travis Sco 2019: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X

Top 10 Headlines of the Decade by: Sophia Paranzino

2010: The BP Oil Spill 2011: Death of Osama Bin Laden 2012: Sandy Hook School Shooting 2013: Pope Francis Elected 2014: US Ebola Outbreak 2015: Baltimore Mourns Freddie Gray 2016: Trump Wins Election 2017: #MeToo Movement 2018: March for Our Lives 2019: The Impeachment of Donald Trump

Popeyes sandwich proves promising emily zhu, editor

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expected the epitome of quality cuisine when Popeyes announced the return of their popular chicken sandwich whose demand led to a nationwide shortage last August.

The immediate buzz about the new item heightened my expectations as I rushed to snag a bite. Naturally, people were comparing the familiar crispy chicken topped with pickles with that of another fast food restaurant, and I rushed to the Louisiana Kitchen to se le the verdict myself.

As I waited in line for a good thirty minutes as people seemed to have the same plans on a Saturday afternoon, my hasty anticipation made me think the slow service contradicted the definition of fast food. Not to mention, I was welcomed by a gust of cold air as I walked into the unheated restaurant, a frigid contrast even with the 40-de-

gree outdoor temperatures. Despite wearing a full-fledged parka, I sat shivering in the lack of heat after I picked up my meal.

Even in an irritable mood from the unpleasant environment, the warm aroma opening the neatly packed sandwich was welcoming. Opening my mouth wide to bite into the larger-than- Chick-Fil-A counterpart, I was pleasantly surprised at the crispness of the tender chicken; a touch of Cajun flavor among the light taste of a crunchy dill pickle provided a satisfying texture. A slice of rich, spicy mayonnaise was neatly spread on the soft interior, providing the subtlest touch of flair among the hefty proportions of the chicken. Its pickles seemed thicker as well.

My only complaint was though the lustrous brioche buns were baked in a golden bu er, to my dismay, the bread was cold, left unscathed by the heat of the chicken. I also warn those who detest mayonnaise to order the sandwich

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without it, though that seems to be one of the only dissimilarities between the rival stores’ competing products.

Still, the sandwich exceeded my expectations by balancing a filling and flavorful harmony.

Though it boggles me how a restaurant whose main delicacy is fried chicken had a nationwide shortage of a chicken sandwich, I’d recommend all chicken sandwich lovers to give the Popeyes sandwich a try. For those seeking a twist to the comfortable Chick-Fil-A meal, taking refuge at Popeyes is now on the table. Though I wanted a clearcut winner in the chicken sandwich ba le, between the varying sauces, sides, textures, and atmospheres, deeming one sandwich be er than the other is near impossible and merely depends on the mood you’re in. For some, a low combo price of $7.99 for a larger portion may be a deciding factor.

OVERALL RATING:

the griffin

January 24, 2020

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club spotlight: Dungeons and Dragons thrives at Dulaney anne wang, staff writer

C

an we play D&D now?” Fans of “Stranger Things” may have heard of this iconic line, but now students can play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) in a club at Dulaney.

Every Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the satellite cafeteria, students embark on an adventure immersed in the fantastical world of D&D. D&D is a tabletop role-playing game that combines elements of turn-based combat where a simple roll of a die can determine outcomes. Each player has a character sheet with stats and abilities. As many students trudge through the vicissitudes of the high school life, D&D offers a great escape to relax and socialize with peers in the midst of antisocial phone behavior.

“They take all the mechanics of a video game and put it into a pre y robust table-top game, and it gives you even more freedom than a video game,” said Advisor Timothy Guest.

The game began in the 80s and has evolved through many versions, similar to how a video game receives new updates. However, the game had a stigma for its fantasy “antibiblical” elements behind it back then. Now, people are breaking away from the negative connotation as the game has soared in popularity. Unbeknownst to many, increasing amounts of students are playing D&D in their free time as a hobby.

“Giving them a club that they can clearly go and get help from other people who’ve played it before or just learn how it plays or even enter a game-- that would probably be the best part of the club right there,” said

Guest.

The game has even built upon family bonds.

“I joined D&D because my brother plays and it gives us something to bond over,” said senior Jules Gill.

In addition to family bonds, the club is also notable for its unique structure. Although D&D still has traditional officers like President and Vice President to organize the meetings, there is a special position called Dungeon Master (DM) who runs the game, leading the quest. The atmosphere is also laid back as members don’t need to have prior experience playing the game since the community is inclusive to all members.

“It’s not a strict meeting and conclusion event. It opens up a new side to school where you can develop your imagination in situational issues,” said Gill.

Whether it’s by destiny, chance or “Stranger Things”, D&D is here to stay.

The complex plot may prove confusing to children, but the remarkable storytelling abilities of Disney Studios still prevail. Without a traditional villain, the cause of the main conflict is a plot twist, captivating the viewers. We also get to see new costumes for all the characters, which provides a refreshing change from the original costumes that have been overused. Though after a few Halloweens, we’ll probably be sick of these new costumes as well.

While “Frozen 2” is a strikingly beautiful and interesting movie, how necessary is it? The original movie, “Frozen,” was not built for a sequel in any means. The original story ended nicely, with the Kingdom of Arendelle opening it gates, summer being restored, and the sisters renewing their relationship. All the loose ends were tied, and the movie seemed to be as most other Disney movies, a successful stand-alone film with the happy ending everyone expected. However, in the beginning of “Frozen 2,” the happy ending established in the first movie was abruptly dissolved, with the characters falling into another bout of restlessness and self-discovery. The sequel was clearly not necessary to the story, but a mere cash grab as the original brought in over a billion dollars for the film studio.

Though the sequel is not entirely needed, it will be hard to find any complaints from the sea of children eager to find new songs to sing at every possible occasion.

“Frozen 2” is the stunning sequel to one of the most famous children’s movies in the world. The legacy the movie had to fill gave the sequel an unfair disadvantage, as the first movie set ridiculously high standards for any others that follow. Although the plot didn’t quite meet the original in terms of interest, “Frozen 2” is still a cinematic masterpiece that provides more depth to the original story and will draw in more young “Frozen” fans for years to come.

Disney’s “Frozen 2” freezes out competition

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sophia paranzino, staff writer isney’s “Frozen” was the highest grossing animated film of all time until this year’s live action “The Lion King,” bringing in a total of $1.27 billion in the box office. With its beautiful songs, stunning animation, and intriguing plot, it’s no wonder that six years after its original release in 2013, children are still singing Elsa’s famous song, “Let It Go.” But how does the sequel, “Frozen 2,” compare? Disney has a track record for releasing subpar sequels to their famous movies. Hardly anyone will tell you that “Pocahontas II: Journey to A New World,” the straight-to-video sequel of “Pocahontas”, was the be er of the two movies. So, with low expectations, I went to see “Frozen 2”, and I was very surprised by what I saw.

The intricacy of the animation and the a ention to detail was evident from the beginning, from Elsa’s thousands of animated hairs to the lichen on the boulders that showed the work the animators put into the movie. The beautiful color pale e of warm, autumn tones is a big shift from the frosty colors of the original, signifying the passage of time.

While the animation stunned, the plot did not live up to the same standards. Not to say that this was not a good movie, but the complexity needed to explain the mythical element-spirits that gave Elsa her powers took away from the story. Although the movie tried to mature its plot in order to appeal to their original audience¬¬—who has since grown up in the time between the two movies—they need to remember that their target demographic is still children.

“The intricacy of the animation and the a ention to detail was evident from the beginning.”

The songs in “Frozen 2” also leave a strong impact on viewers. Elsa got not one, but two songs of self-discovery this movie, only fueling the fire of children belting these songs until we are driven to insanity. Kristof also gets his time in the spotlight, singing a power ballad with the energy of an 80’s song, exciting the parents in the crowd but bewildering children who know nothing of the era. While nothing could compare to Elsa’s, “Let It Go,” the songs were still interesting and well-wri en, making a beautifully created movie even more impressive.

OVERALL RATING:

an artist among us:Tony Senatore exemplifies versatility

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jeongin kim, staff writer any of us have grown up with the likes of Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon. Still, animation is often disregarded as an art form.

While film and television are lauded for their creative geniuses, animated stories of the same caliber are left without recognition. But animation is uninhibited by the physics of live action—it allows storytellers to break the walls that limit traditional storytelling. Tony Senatore, a senior at Dulaney, demonstrates its virtue as a vehicle of personal expression through his animations.

“It’s just so much fun to be able to bring life to a drawing, to have so possible ways to make something move,” Senatore said.

Senatore also elaborates on his interactions with professionals in the field. Brian Mainolfi is a prominent animator in the animation field, having on Disney movies like Tarazan, Mulan, and Pocahontas.

“He was a graduate of the school that my mom works at: Baltimore School of the Arts. We went out to see him because at the time, he was a story board artist for American Dad on FOX,” Senatore said. “He looked at my stuff and gave me some feedback, then showed me all the work he did for Disney and early stuff he did with Chuck Jones. He gave me some advice on animation, like learning the figure, and he gave me original drawings from The Emperor’s New Groove and a bunch of photocopied cels from The Li le Mermaid.”

Currently, his art varies from comics to short videos or illustrations. Senatore has an impressive toolkit to assist him. He previously utilized the Intuos Wacom tablet but has upgraded to the Wacom Cintiq after receiving it as a gift from his family. Though he is equipped with professional tools, his illustrations can still take around two to

five hours, while his animations can consume up to 30 or 40 hours each. A one-minute video can contain over 1000 frames that each must be hand-drawn.

Senatore began drawing when he was six-years-old, when cartoons’ exaggerated expressions and caricatures first appealed to him. Since then, he has continuously honed his abilities to pursue a career in the field.

“The overall goal for me is to have my own project, but there’s a lot of steps in between. A more immediate goal is to get hired on a project for a streaming service, maybe a Netflix original, possibly [to be] part of the animation team or storyboard artists,” Senatore said.

Despite his aspirations, Senatore remains grounded. He understands the competitive nature of the artistic field and worries that it will not be financially fulfilling. Still, he remains optimistic: “there are not a lot of art-centered jobs in the world that pay an amount to make a life out of. Thankfully, animation is a specific art field that offers more promising opportunities.”

His prioritization of passion over money further proves his sincerity as an artist.

Now, with films such as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse” and “Loving Vincent” garnering critical praise and accolades, the world of animation is seemingly expanding. Senatore hopes the future of storytelling is realized as a medium for not only children, but general audiences.

“Anyone who says animations or cartoons are only for kids are absolute bums.”

Find Senatore on Instagram @tiredcartoonist.

Images published with permission from Tony Senatore.

Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

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the griffin

features

#MeToo movement takes over Christmas

January 24, 2020

Dulaney Theater Company spread holiday cheer

sophie sturiale, staff writer

“The new version may not be as catchy as the original, but fans claiming Clarkson and Legend ruined Christmas is making the situation a bigger deal than it needs to be.”

photos by ben clement

(right) SENIOR Alex Mungo exudes enthusiasm as he embodies Buddy the Elf in “Elf the Musical Jr.” (left) The cast of Charlie Brown close the first half of the production and sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

carolyn twomley and anna albergo, staff writers

“...it seems as though they solely created this updated version for publicity and to appeal to a new audience...”

his year for the fall play, the Dulaney Theatre Company merged “Elf the Musical Jr.” and “Charlie Brown Christmas” into one production.

“This is the first time we’ve combined two shows over the course of two acts. The audience will have a unique chance to watch two completely different stories in one night,” said Sound Chief Kristine Xie, who oversees microphones, sound effects, voice-overs and music.

Dulaney’s fall play does not traditionally include music or dance choreography, but chorus teacher Christina Senita explained why they made an exception for this year’s performance.

“Right now, “Elf the Musical Jr.” was available and because of its popularity, we weren’t sure if it would still be available in the future.

So, it was a great time to do it.”

Though some may be concerned that the performance is intended to showcase the musical

talents of the students, Senita quickly debunked this idea, “We’re still able to make sure that people who don’t consider singing their strength a chance to get a spotlight.”

Dulaney students have grown up watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Elf” so the Dulaney Theatre Company wanted to keep the familiarity of the Christmas classics.

Junior Grace Jecelin, in the ensemble in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” said, “Because the movie ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ is such a classic, we’ve tried to make the show as close to the actual movie as we can.

We want the members of our audience to feel the nostalgia and magic that comes along with watching this movie while watching our show.”

The two shows are similar to the original movies in terms of the plot and characters. Specifically, for the “Charlie Brown Christmas” portion of the performance, the scripts are exactly the same as the movie. Since the movie “Elf” has a more complex plot, the

shortened version being utilized by Dulaney is compressed, but still contains the original key elements in musical format.

Behind the scenes, students and teachers worked hard to prepare the shows for the audience by rehearsing lines, painting and constructing set design pieces sothe performance runs smoothly. Junior Caroline Horn, head of costume design, described the process of creating costumes for such a wellknown, timeless story.

Horn said, “For shows like Charlie Brown with iconic characters it’s best to just find photos of their costumes. I then go into the costume closet and try to find pieces that could work or that we could make work.”

The production put on by the Dulaney Theatre Company surpassed expectations. The tireless effort and collaboration from the cast and crew was evident in the craftsmanship of the show. Both on and off stage, the students and teachers provided the audience with a one-ofa-kind experience.

Invested and the Investigated in “The Morning Show” miranda parrish, staff writer fter the premiere of Apple TV, a new show mimicking the “Today” show, “The Morning Show,” starring long-time favorites Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carrell was introduced. The show entrapped the viewers into the tense plot and showed a unique behind-thescenes look after tenured co-host, Mitch Kessler, is fired for claims of sexual assault and misconduct.

The series starts off with the day of the firing and shows different points of view of the scandal. While the show’s employees are both shocked and saddened, an emotional and aggressive Mitch Kessler (Steve Carrell) is shown watching that morning’s show. In rage, he smashes the T.V. with his legal team surrounding him. Hysteria overcomes him just as his wife tells him she’s ge ing a divorce and taking full custody of his two boys. Viewers can see the reactions of the people involved and displays an unbiased account of each side so the viewer can decide for themselves each character’s role.

The several days following the release of the tenured co-host, female co-host Alex Levy, played by Jennifer Aniston, leads the news division through the crucial time following his termination. She hires a new host and recklessly makes decisions without the network’s support. The new co-host, Bradley Jackson, played by Reese Witherspoon, has an original take on the show and believes that the ideal news reporter stereotype is overrated, and repeatedly goes off script. Witherspoon’s original character and her relatability to the public al-

low her to sympathize more with the interviewees and people in the workplace.

When Jackson slips on T.V. that she had an abortion when she was 15, the show obtains a secondary focus on providing basic rights to women while displaying the events in the corporate patriarchal hierarchy to cover-up of victims’ accounts of sexual misconduct.

“The show’s ten-episode season one leaves the viewer invested, while showing both the vulnerability and accountability of all who are involved.”

Even though the show’s topic is sensitive, there is a very appropriate balance of lighthearted humor compared to the stereotypical New Yorker stressed lifestyle.

The show’s ten-episode season one leaves the viewer engaged, while showing both the vulnerability and accountability of all who are involved. Such a sensitive topic was portrayed beautifully, depicting different reFind us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

actions to the wrongdoing, while also trying to continue with the characters’ individual lives and the show’s production. The intricate production of the show has received rave reviews, multiple Golden Globe nominations, and increasing popularity for Apple T.V, as well as a second season being secured .

The “Morning Show’s” basis includes drama, backstabbing and sometimes love for each character. Watching the gut-wrenching events that lead the company down a spiraling path keeps the viewer invested and impressed.

reproduced with permission by Apple

OVERALL RATING:

the griffin

January 24, 2020

11

features

Year 3000 in 2020

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emily zhu editor he Jonas Brothers are back together. And they’re be er than ever.

On Sat, Nov. 30, I ran on my post-Thanksgiving high and sheer excitement to see my favorite band of brothers in concert. Catching the straggling shoppers’ traffic, I rolled my way down to Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.

The arena full of screaming girls welcomed the three brothers’ silhoue es as they descended from an elevated platform from the ceiling. Before the stage lights even turned on to start the show, an ear-rupturing roar cascaded through the crowd. With the arena speckled with every seat occupied, there was a harmonizing frenzy of energy.

Joe Jonas begins “Rollercoaster” from their new “Happiness Begins” album with a resonating tone, sending chills fused with adrenaline down my spine. Kevin Jonas strums his guitar, and Nick Jonas grooves along with angsty gestures.

The transitions were smooth as the Brothers sang songs from their “Happiness Begins” album. Even though there were no immense productions with hardcore dance numbers characteristic of present-day pop music (besides with “Burning up” emi ing fire and DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean” producing inflatable tube-men with flailing arms), the Brothers executed an energetic performance.

They shifted between walking around the stage at times, with other times grouped together. Filling up the space

as they moved around the stadium, their dynamic voices and carefree mannerisms were a conversational exchange between the band and the audience. It sent waves of nostalgia and excitement.

Of course, they sang medleys of their old music “Paranoid,” “Play my Music, “World War III” to name a few, but when they sang “Go a Find You” from Camp Rock, it conjured unconscious childhood memories of dancing in front of the T.V, cheering on Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato) and Shane Gray (Joe Jonas) as they finally performed their duet in the Final Jam together.

When they sang my personal favorite “Hesitate” -which is Joe Jonas’s love ballad to his wife, Sophie Turner — the stillness of the audience transcended a peaceful mood. To be more immersed in the audience, the Brothers stood on a smaller, isolated stage that slowly escalated as they sang the chorus. Blue lanterns floated around the arena as people waved their phone flashlights. Once only seeing this synchronized swaying from concert videos, I felt a sense of unity being part of the crowd Seeing the Brothers manifested from our T.V. screens to right before our eyes left me with a resounding feeling of exhilaration. The most distinct aspect of the Brother’s comeback is that their voices are more refined with a purer tone, less grungy. They’re cooler. But more importantly, the atmosphere was still bursting with the same spirit, with the fans still having the same collective love supporting the same journey over the years.

Seeing the Jonas Brothers sing our favorite songs in per-

son was coming full circle with the positive energy they had given off before their disbandment, emerging with the same dynamism now. The powerful force that bound fans together was evident before 2013, and unmistakable even seven years later.

photo by emily zhu

OVERALL RATING:

A satisfying ending to the “Star Wars” saga

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anna albergo, staff writer n December 20, 2019, Lucas Film released “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which was the last installment of the nine-part series and the final episode of the sequel trilogy. The first movie, “Star Wars: A New Hope”, was released forty-two years ago. Since then, the original trilogy has been finished, a prequel trilogy has been made, and other movies such as “Rogue One” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” have been produced.

With the creation of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the sequel trilogy and saga have been finished.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” featured thrilling ba les, shocking discoveries, and a climactic ending that resolved Rey’s conflict with the Empire. Recurring themes characteristic of the other Star Wars films such as death, courage, sacrifice, and family relationships were all present, which created an emotional overtone to complement the fluid special effects. The characters who were originally introduced at the beginning of this trilogy including Rey, Poe, and Finn were fully developed by the end of this movie. Overall, the long-awaited conclusion was satisfying and fulfilling.

Throughout the movie, many characters from previous movies and trilogies reappeared, creating nostalgia and a sense of resolution for the entire series. Many of the best scenes included the original characters such as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. The presence of all the impactful characters from the entire series evoked a feeling of sat-

isfaction and approval for people who didn’t previously embrace the new characters who were introduced at the beginning of the sequel trilogy.

Going into the movie, the expectations regarding the conclusion were very high considering this was the

“the expectations regarding the conclusion were very higher considering this was the culmination of all eight films, and the ending did, in fact, live up to its expectations.” culmination of all eight films, and the ending did, in fact, live up to its expectations. Rey showed more fearlessness and determination than ever before when she continually resisted temptations from the dark side. Despite discovering her family origins, she remained true to herself, using the wisdom and advice of elders who have become mentors to her. The Resistance never gave up hope, sacrificing everything including their friend’s wellbeing to keep this

ray of hope alive. In the final showdown, Rey put aside her internal conflict to defeat a longtime rival from the dark side and Kylo Ren completed his redemption arc that he was encouraged to seek for by Han Solo in “The Force Awakens.” Although the final actions were predictable, the path each character took to get there was dramatic and exciting which contributed to a very satisfying ending.

In the end, the good side conquered the dark side but at times the plot was overcomplicated and moved too quickly. The cameras were constantly switching between scenes in different locations. Characters that had previously died kept reappearing without any explanation, which made the plot difficult to follow. “Star Wars” a empted to connect everything that they had started, but that was too big of a task for just one movie. As a result, the plot seemed very rushed. At times, it was hard to understand what was going on in a scene and it felt like there should have been more dialogue to indicate what was happening.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” provided a rewarding and pleasurable conclusion where Rey defeated her grandfather and the dark side. The plot incorporated elements of the previous movies including familiar characters and themes creating a sense of completion. Although the plot was overcomplicated, Star Wars created a fi ing end to a spectacular series.

OVERALL RATING:

Mister Rogers brings another new day

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miranda parrish, staff writer here wasn’t a more perfect time than Thanksgiving to debut the new Mister Rogers movie, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring one of the most well-liked actors to fill his role: Tom Hanks. Hanks has been known as thoughtful and polite to everyone, and his role in the movie fits with his own values.

The new movie is based off American television personality Fred Rogers, known as Mister Rogers’ lifeboth on and off screen. It told the story between the impolite magazine writer, Lloyd Vogel, and the nicest man in yours and my childhood: Mister Rogers.

The movie is set up like an episode of the beloved classic, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood:” the red cardigan, the song, the fish tank and the toys around the house. The staple to our childhood, filled with love and puppet animals, provided a safe space for a short thirty minutes, and a mentor to all ages. The episode starts with Hanks coming through the door and slipping into loafers, just like in the show, with a simple “Hello, neighbor,” transporting viewers back to their childhood. All of this unfolds while Vogel’s negative assumptions of the childhood icon are consistently challenged through the good deeds Mister Rogers performs.

As the movie continues, Vogel writes a piece on Mister Rogers about heroism. Vogel’s interviews with Mister Rogers as well as his observations at work and home discover that he really was as gentle and considerate as his TV personality, while at the same time discovering

that it’s okay to need help sometimes.

Vogel -- a frankly violent and dysfunctional journalist -- interrogates Mister Rogers to try and search for the selfish answers that most other interviewees give. Questions like “Do you consider yourself a hero?” provokes the viewer to keep watching and see how Mister Rogers reacts. His true to the heart responses spark the same amount of kindness that’s depicted on camera, showing

“The nostalgia from watching Mister Rogers as a child was brought back by Hanks in a beautiful fashion...” how whole-hearted he really is.

As the movie continues, Rogers’ honesty and directness to problems --commonly misunderstood as naivety -- transfers Lloyd into a flustered state. Simple encounters with Rogers then turn him back into the angry and rejected child that is still hidden deep inside himself.

After the documentary about Mister Rogers came out in 2018, some critics and fans were concerned that the new movie would be too repetitive. But after earning a very high rating of 94 percent on Ro en Tomatoes as Find us at http://dulaneygriffin.org.

well as nothing but phenomenal reviews, viewers were nothing but ecstatic to watch this beloved classic on the big screen. What the screen doesn’t show is how Vogel and Rogers were lifelong friends even after the interview for “Esquire” magazine.

By the end of the movie, Mister Rogers and Vogel both brought tears to everyone in the audience. The nostalgia from watching Mister Rogers as a child was brought back by Hanks in a beautiful fashion, leaving everyone in the audience nostalgic to the past and walking out of the theater happy, thinking about their childhood days.

reproduced with permission of sony.com

OVERALL RATING:

12

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the griffin

features

January 24, october 23,2020 2015

dulaney: tech interns backup Dulaney tech intern spotlights

faizah saadmim, editor ver wonder who those computer geniuses traveling from in and out of classrooms are? The crucial technology interns of Dulaney High possess seemingly infinite skills and knowledge about everything from projectors to the devices. Although the 2019-2020 school year is only the second year that the internship program has been implemented in Baltimore County Public Schools, the student interns have a level of professionalism and trouble shooting skills beyond their years.

Every class period there are two interns available to help with any technology problems the Dulaney population faces. A senior and junior are paired together, so that the upperclassmen can mentor the underclassmen. The only “training” the technology interns have is what previous seniors have taught them and the mentoring continues in a cyclical fashion as the years progress. The internship is mainly student run with Technology Liaison and Chinese teacher, Ma hew Love , guiding them through bigger issues.

The daily routine for technology interns is dictated by an online form which consists of reported student and teacher technology problems. It can vary from simple problems like a device not connecting with the Wi-Fi to software malfunctions in uncooperative computers. A major project that the technology interns lead is the collection and distribution of the student devices each year, handling the collection of devices with an organized program allowed for the smooth dispersal of devices at the beginning of this school year.

The interns are a group of diverse individuals from all races, ethnicities and backgrounds. Each intern brings a unique perspective to the program. Some of the interns lack extensive experience with troubleshooting computers but have learned along the way. Others bring impressive software knowledge from Advanced Placement computer classes. Regardless, all the technology interns impress with their hard work and dedication to keep Dulaney’s technology running smoothly.

What is the best part about the tech internship?

Jae Min Chong, senior

“The people, the environment, the fixing of computers, making everything a li le bit be er for everyone.

There is not a best thing it’s just everything is what makes it worth it.”

Devin McKelvin, junior

“Being able to figure out and solve problems on our own, without being micromanaged is probably the best part about being an intern.”

Graham Buccheri, junior

“The tech internship provides unique experience in a work environment while still providing an early learning experience as an introduction to this field of work.”

Kaiya Bailey, senior

“The invigorating feeling of knowing you can be the one to help in a field many are unsure about.” photos by faizah saadmim

Disney+: the newest subscription craze

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morgan pierce, editor ust over 90 years ago, Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented a life-altering image transmi ing and broadcasting machine: the television. The television began as a huge, box-like machine that portrayed black and white images. Now, almost a century later, it has developed into a sleeker, thinner and wider machine that portrays high-definition, realistic and colorful images. Along with this development, there have been increasing amounts of movies, shows, channels and streaming programs made available to society.

According to a Nielsen Holdings report, adults watch an average of about five hours of television per day in the United States alone, averaging around 35 hours per week. While younger people watch about 15 hours less than adults, the television intake in the United States is exorbitant.

This level of excessive viewing has led to an increased demand for a variety of motion pictures, which would explain the release of new streaming programs; from Hulu to Netflix to Amazon Prime Video, the choices are endless. On Nov. 12, 2019 the multinational mass media

and entertainment company, The Walt Disney Company, jumped on the bandwagon and released a streaming program called Disney+. Within the first day Disney+ was released, Disney announced they had signed up 10 million subscribers to their streaming services and according to CNBC, Disney had “signed up more customers in one day than HBO Now, CBS All Access + Showtime, ESPN+, DAZN and Crunchyroll have signed up in the entirety of their existences.”

Disney+ is a paid subscription ($6.99 per month or $69.99 per year) that allows subscribers to view select movies, documentaries and television shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.

Disney+ also offers a bundle package that costs $12.99 and includes subscriptions to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. The subscription to Disney+ also allows for up to four people to watch on the same account at the same time.

While simply keeping the subscription to “Disney media” may seem limiting, the Disney+ subscription offers contains over 500 movies and 12 TV shows (75,000 episodes). The entertainment offered by Disney+ not only ranges over the commonly associated princesses and

Mickey Mouse, but also extends to the beloved Marvel and Star Wars media, while also offering original films such as a novel twist on Santa Claus in the movie, “Noelle,” and a new show, “The Mandalorian,” which is set in the Star Wars universe.

Disney+ offers a vast array of media that appeals to both children and adults. With the bundle, it also allows for people with previous subscriptions to have the opportunity to join onto another program without too much of an additional cost. Disney+ also allows for a seven-day free trial, allowing viewers to have seven days to decide whether the subscription is worth it to them- making this program easily top notch.

Disney+ allows viewers to view beloved Disney originals as well as a vast assortment of newly cherished films and shows. Their free trial allows viewers to have their own say in whether the subscription is worth it, and with the cheap prices and over 10 million subscribers, it seems like people are easing on the side of support for the program—potentially leading to even more growth in the future.

OVERALL RATING:

Dulaney gets festive: Top five holiday classrooms sophie sturiale, staff writer As the holidays approach, some teachers embrace the spirit with their fun and festive classroom decorations. Here are the Griffin’s top five selections of the best designed rooms.

Catherine Bloomer: Room 210 Christina Senita: Room 122 Bloomer always knows how to decorate her classroom This winter Senita helped put on the theatre productions “Elf the Musical Jr.” for the holidays. This year Bloomer really went all and “Charlie Brown Christmas.” Taking on this project intensified her holiday out to create a beautiful and inclusive holiday scene. spirit and it really shows with her fun and festive Christmas tree bookshelf.

Her classroom features a Hanukkah tree along with a This fun decoration was made with green lights and tinsel hung in the shape Christmas tree, so other religions are represented. She of a tree. It features a beautiful li le gold star on top that brings the whole was also able to mix her love for math into the room by thing together. Paper ornaments add pops of color and enhance the design of creating a “geome-tree.” Bloomers various decorations the tree. Senita’s holiday decorations make everyone who walks into her room make her room the most festive. feel more festive.

Abigail Fair: Room 228 The holiday spirit consumes Fair as she preps her room for this beautiful time of the year.

With red and green tinsel hung across lab tables, and ornaments strewn about the room.

The room also features many trees to enhance the festive mood. Fair loves the winter spirit and embraces it in her lovely, decorated class.

Meekah Hopkins: Room 300 Hopkins credits for her room decorations to the theatre department; however, she loves the festive additions.

Hopkins’ room features red streamers across the bottom of the chalk board, and decorative stockings hanging throughout the room. She has also adorned a bust with fun glasses and green holiday beads. Her room also has lights hung around the windows to add spirit.

photos by sophie sturiale

Angela Sofinowski: Library The library is a great common place for students to get work done since many classes visit throughout the day so good decorations really help to add spirit to the school.

The library features rainbow lights hung around the doorway and tinsel lining the shelves on the side. Sofinowski gives all the credit to the theatre members who decorated various rooms throughout the school A positive classroom creates a positive environment, which allows students to more enjoy their school experience during the holiday season. to create exposure for the play.

Decorating a classroom is fun for both the teacher and the student. Pops of color and festive lights make every day more exciting!

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