Rampage Volume 51 Issue 5

Opinion: Time to stop America’s cancelled culture p. 6

Sports: RHS football players committ to play in college p. 16

Features: Child development class inspires student careers p. 10

AMPAGE 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, Maryland 20851

Volume 51 Number 5

March 25, 2019

Students March Again, Protest in DC

By ZOE MOSER Editor-in-Chief Exactly one year after the first high school student walkout, the student-run social activist group MoCo for Change led a second annual walkout March 14 in Washington D.C., again protesting Congress’ inaction over gun violence, and lobbying the Senate to pass a bill allowing universal background checks when purchasing a gun.

Over 3,500 students from throughout the DMV area convened in front of the White House at 10 a.m., beginning the rally with 17 minutes of silence as many workers and members of the press looked on. Students then walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, carrying signs and chanting loudly, to Capitol Hill where students gathered on the lawn behind a stage set-up at the

steps of the building.

The process for organizing this march started a month and a half ago with MoCo for Change, led by co-presidents senior Dani Miller of Churchill High School (HS) and junior Michael Solomon of Springbrook HS. Much planning and preparation was required, as well as the filing and obtaining of two permits; one for the space around the White House and one for the space around the Capitol as well as the march route, Miller said.

“It was a long process; every speaker, every stage, all of it had to go through a very thorough security checkpoint,” Miller said. “I had to constantly be in conversation with the police officers...but the police officers like the Metropolitan Capital police were really cooperative and helpful with me which made it

easier, so I was able to get it done rather quickly.”

MoCo for Change was established in March 2018 following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS shooting a month prior and the March for Our Lives organization was subsequently created and has garnered a vast network of members and school representatives.

RHS’ current MoCo for Change representatives are senior Giovanni Gutierrez, junior Iqra Mohamed and sophomore Gabby Diaz.

A recent bill, titled H.R.8, which would require background checks for gun purchases, recently passed in the House of Representatives Feb. 27, and it now goes to the Senate for consideration.

“I am here because I came to the march last year and since the bill [H.R.8] passed in the House, it needs to pass in the Senate, so, we’re trying to make that happen,” Sher-

wood HS sophomore Stella Stevenson said.

“Hopefully they [Congress] decide to actually do something and make more background checks and make it harder to get guns so something will actually change.”

Following the march to Capitol Hill, 18 speakers took to the stage to share their thoughts, ideas and stories.

Speakers included Miller, Gutierrez (who spoke mainly in Spanish), eight-year-old Havana Chapman-Edwards-- also known as “The Tiny Diplomat”-- Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22), Kate Ranta, a domestic gun violence survivor, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Giselle Morch of Moms Demand Action and former SMOB Matt Post. Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8) was also slated to speak, though he did not.

“I think that we’ve seen throughout history that in order to evoke change we have to go against the status quo and do CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Photo by Jacob Burkhardt

Pesticides in THC Vape Pens Causing Death in Teenagers

By MATTHEW DIFONZO Sports Managing Editor

By SABINA SALGUERO Staff Writer

The last day of the 2018-19 MCPS school year has been moved to Friday, June 14 for students and Monday, June 17 for teachers due to recent weather emergencies caused by ice and snow, which prompted school closures.

MCPS has a total of 182 instructional days built into the school year, but because four days were taken off due to snow: Nov. 15, Jan. 14, Jan. 30 and Feb. 20, the school calendar must be extended by a day to meet Maryland’s minimum requirement of 180 days of instruction. June 5 is also being used as a make-up day, which was initially a professional day for teachers.

This extra day could disturb the summer agenda of students and teachers, and with the RHS class of 2019 graduating June 13, there already won’t be school for students, creating a lack of motivation.

“I think with this extension, it could intervene with the students who have things to do in the beginning of summer,”

freshman Imani Wickramaratne said. “If students know they’re not going to do much in the last week of school, they’re probably just not going to come.”

Although MCPS has only added one day to the end of the school year, by using June 5 as a make-up day, teachers will have less time to catch up with grading.

“I think it’s useful that the county is using [the professional] day so that they don’t need to keep adding on to the school year,” English teacher Sharon Lee said. “But it affects the teachers, because it’s not just free time that we get; we use that to do our grading, get them done, and without that [day], it’s harder to find time to finish all of our grading.”

If there are any more weather-related school closings, MCPS will continue to use make-up days; with April 16 and April 17 next in line, cutting into an already shortened spring break if needed.

However, to avoid shortening spring break further, MCPS will consult with Montgomery County Education Association and other organizations to possibly extend the calendar after June 15, according to MCPS News.

Dab Pens, Weed Vapes and Dabber’s Pen: all names for the popular tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) pens on the rise among consumers—including teenagers—across the nation who are now using these devices as a more discreet way of getting high compared to smoking cannabis. Along with the rise in teen dabbing, there has also been a recent increase in teenage hospitalizations due to unknowingly dabbing from pesticide or chemical-filled dab pens, causing health officials to worry.

“I am aware of one particularly relevant survey though, done recently, with high school students in which 41 percent reported only smoking, another 10 percent reported smoking and dabbing and 9.8 percent reported smoking and ingesting. Only about 10 percent used a combination of modes that did not include smoking. Dabbing appears to be more popular among those who are seeking to experiment with new forms of delivery,” health scientist for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Dr. Ruben

Graphic by Emily Nagy

Baler told the Rampage.

Dab pens give users the ability to get high without having to smoke the marijuana herb. They contain cartridges supposed to be filled with marijuana wax, better known as Butane Hash Oil (BHO), honey oil, budder or shatter -- but the danger stems from the fact that there is no way of knowing what the cartridge has actually been filled with.

Despite not knowing what is actually in the cartridge, dab pens are viewed as a quick and easy way of getting high, an anonymous RHS senior boy said.

“I use my dab pen every day.

It gives me a relaxing feeling and helps me get through the day and not have to worry about things

on my mind. It is also so easy and does not smell at all. It is like a portable high you can keep in your pocket and use whenever you would like,” he said.

Despite the supposed pleasant feelings from the drug, dabbing is also known to cause serious health risks such as seizures, high blood pressure, twitches and jerks of extremities, paranoia, confusion, agitation, mild fever, tachycardia (up to 110 beats per minute), hypertension (up to 170/90 mm Hg) and photophobia, Baler said.

“Dabs that are homemade or obtained from an unreliable source may be prone to containing CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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March 25, 2019

NEWS

News Briefs Change in English Curriculum College Board Updates AP Registration, Materials

By OLIVIA TURNER Staff Writer

By ERIN BODE News Managing Editor

After Johns Hopkins University conducted an external audit of the K-8 English Language Arts and math curricula in MCPS schools, adjustments are now also being made to improve the existing high school curriculum in upcoming school years.

Last year, the Board of Education (BOE) commissioned the outside inspection of the English and mathematics curricula within elementary and middle schools, which provided findings and recommendations for K-8. However, since the middle and high school English curricula are similarly structured, there were some recommendations from the inspection that officials are considering applying to high schools as well.

“On March 22, 2018, the Board of Education received a report of the findings for the curriculum review conducted, as mandated by the curriculum policy to occur every five years. The review focused on the written, taught and learned curriculum for grades Kindergarten through Grade 8, in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics,” according to a 2019 MCPS bulletin article.

The vision for the English ninth and tenth grade curriculum currently includes critical and creative thinking opportunities for inductive reasoning, flexible opportunities for choice to provide access to challenge, opportunities for metacognition and self-reflection, complex and diverse texts, flexible approaches to writing to explore thinking, frequent opportunities for feedback, language acquisition and building sentence skills within the context of reading and writing, according to a 2019 MCPS presentation given out to all English 9 and English 10 teachers.

“That [new curriculum additions] might mean ensuring closer alignment to grade-level standards, making improvements in the writing process, or identifying more ‘anchor texts’ that create more consistent experiences for students across MCPS,” Director of Secondary and Districtwide Programs Scott Murphy said.

The English 10 curriculum is slated to

Beginning next school year the College Board is making changes to Advanced Placement (AP) exams, requiring students sign up for exams by Nov. 15 or pay a $40 fee if they sign up later.

With the new changes to the timing AP registration, students could be placed under additional stress in deciding to sign up for exams.

In addition to the registration changes, the College Board is planning to release additional resources for students and teachers that will help prepare them for these exams.

“Our goal is to ensure that all AP students have equal access to the best resources to help them earn college credit,” College Board spokesman Zachary Goldberg told The Washington Post in an email in a February 7 article.

“The annual cost to develop and maintain these new resources, and the cost to develop and implement the fall registration process, actually reduce, rather than expand, the AP Program’s operating income for the foreseeable future,” he added.

Md. State Senate Passes New Bill on Cyberbullying

By ANDREW COULIBALY Opinion Managing Editor Maryland’s State Senate has unanimously approved Senate Bill 726, also known as Grace’s Law 2.0, which updates the definition of cyberbullying in Maryland and offers additional protection to victims.

Nine state senators sponsored the bill, according to the Maryland General Assembly which was introduced to the Senate Feb. 2, 2018.

Grace’s Law 2.0 is a bill that seeks to stop people from being cruel toward others online by banning the use of a computer or computer network to harass, intimidate or torment a minor. It increases the maximum time in prison for violaters from one to 10 years and increases the maximum fine from $500 to $10,000.

Sen. Robert Zirkin said he believes this bill renews the definition of electronic communications in order to match changing technology, according to a Feb. 7 Associated Press article.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to have a hearing for this bill March 27.

4 Diverse MOCO Cities

By TEDDY BILODEAU Staff Writer Montgomery County is home to four of the top 10 most culturally diverse cities in the U.S. according to a Feb. 12 WalletHub study. These four cities include Gaithersburg (ranked second), Germantown (ranked third), Silver Spring (ranked fourth) and Rockville (ranked ninth).

Each city’s cultural diversity was judged using three main scaling categories: ethnoracial, linguistic and birthplace of citizens.

Students described the positives of having so much diversity as “being exposed to people from different walks of life, seeing their culture and ideology,” junior Isha Lallsa said.

This diversity is also seen on a larger scale with the U.S. population in 2045 projected to have no single ethnic group as a majority for the first time in U.S. history, according to WalletHub. The study also ranks the cities by size: large, midsize and small. The four Montgomery County cities take up the first four rankings in small cities, with Gaithersburg moving to the first spot, Germantown to the second, Silver Spring to the third and Rockville to the fourth.

Graphic by Olivia Turner

change next school year. Instead of teachers grading student reading, the BOE would like to see an emphasis on students’ reflections of their reading. They also hope to incorporate small reading groups more often, rather than the whole class reading the novel together and have student-led vocabulary learning instead of teacher-led vocabulary learning, according to the 2019 MCPS presentation.

In quarters two and four, students will be able to select from a range of texts, examine a theme rather than a genre, read as many texts as possible, be given time to read in class and craft common writing tasks based on shorter texts. These additions are similar to the new eleventh and twelfth grade curricula that have been rolled out over the past four years.

The additions will begin to pose new questions unto the students. These questions include asking what conversations about literary merit look like, along with how to provide structure to turn students into readers.

Pursuant with a 2019 MCPS presentation, the updates to the curriculum hope to turn non-readers into readers and to further encourage the students who already love reading. MCPS plans to achieve this

through student choice reading that incorporates students’ interests.

However, these additions to the curriculum are not final. The Department of Secondary and Districtwide Programs is still discussing the details and no final decisions have been made to change the curriculum yet.

The Board of Education recently adopted new curriculum materials in middle school English from Great Minds LLC, McGraw-Hill Education Inc. and LearnZillion Inc. Feedback will be gathered from middle schools over the next year to determine what new curriculum might be considered for high school, including the possibility of an external curriculum, in upcoming years, Murphy said. However, these would be only updates and additions to the current curriculum, not a completely new curriculum.

“It [this possible change] is a step towards explicitly articulating ideas that many teachers had already adopted,” 10th grade English teacher David Akatu said.

“It makes sense to continue to provide and emphasize student choice because the ultimate goal is to develop young adults that think critically and independently.”

Dangerous Chemicals in Weed Vapes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 residual solvent, like Butane, and also pesticides or other contaminants. One published analysis of 57 samples of cannabis concentrates for contaminants found that over 80 percent of the samples were contaminated by solvents or pesticides to some degree,” Baler said.

Why somebody would fill these cartridges with poison is unknown. However, the suspected reason is for the seller to meet the required weight of the THC cartridge for the consumers’ demand, as well as to distribute and make a profit. For example, the THC in a cartridge may have been short 0.1 of a gram so the seller fills in the missing tenth of a gram with poison or pesticides as filler which is harmful to the human body. The danger is that the consumer is unaware of exactly what is in the cartridge.

There are many different companies who legally make and distribute unlaced

cartridges. However, it is suspected that average consumers and users are the people guilty of filling these cartridges with poison as stated in articles

nies like Exotic Carts, Honeycomb Carts, Brass Knuckles or Mario Carts.

A vape cartridge customer filed a consumer class action

“One published analysis of 57 samples of cannabis concentrates for contaminants found that over 80 percent of the samples were contaminated by solvents or pesticides to some degree.”

-National Institute on Drug Abuse Dr. Ruben Baler Illustration by Emily Nagy

published by Rolling Stone as well as International High Life.

Online stores can be used to purchase these cartridges, fill them and then resell them from the same box as major compa-

suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court May 2018 against the cannabis brand Brass Knuckles for apparent pesticides in dab cartridges. The company is the industry leader in extracted

cannabis oil products.

The industry as a whole is taking action to inform their consumers of how they can tell whether their cartridge is real or fake. With the rise of health issues due to these products, the industry wants their consumers to have an enjoyable experience using their products, according to an article published online March 1

by Leafly.

If users are not educated on the possible consequences of dab pens, consumers may suffer damaging and/or permanent effects to their bodies.

People in the area have suffered serious trauma from the effects of these pesticides in the cartridges, senior Esteban Bonilla said.

“A very good friend of mine is currently brain dead because she has been smoking dab pen cartridges with pesticides in it. This pretty much ruined her life,” Bonilla said.

“My friends were very scared about dab cartridges and decided to stop using these to not end up brain dead or in a hospital.”

NEWS

March 25, 2019

Student Gun Control March Differs From Previous Year CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 things against the norm,” Churchill HS senior and MoCo for Change member Ethan Greenstein said. “By walking out we are sending a message to Congress and to our school system that we won’t stop fighting until change happens.”

Speakers shared moving stories of violence, terror and sadness, as well as uplifting messages of hope for the future. Student bands played on the lawn both as students arrived and left from listening to the speeches.

“I actually did this [march] for my brothers-- I have two, one is seven and the other is 11, and when I heard about one elementary school kid who had a shooting drill she wrote ‘I love you mom and dad’ on her arm and I don’t want my brothers to go through that, to tell my family that they

Photos by Jacob Burkhardt Students sit outside the White House during the 17 minutes of silence. This was the second year for the national high school walkout. love us before they die,” Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) senior and MoCo for Change representative Monique Lopez said.

“I think our voices are often passed off as immature or not reliable because of our age and that’s not true, we are the next voters, we are going to be the biggest generation to vote, and they [adults] need to be prepared for us.”

Lopez says she helped create promotional videos with the help of B-CC junior Fiona Huxley to encourage student participation

and increase numbers. The creation of the videos was a way to bolster student support as well as help apply her love of film and editing to support the cause, Huxley said.

The march lasted until 1 p.m. with the final speaker being former SMOB Matt Post who addressed a significantly smaller crowd compared to the beginning due to many students leaving.

Gun violence and universal background checks were also not the only topic discussed as other issues such as immigration, xeno-

phobia and minority representation and acknowledgement were raised.

“This was my first walkout and I thought that it was great,” RHS junior Allison Tobar said. “It was great to see so many students join together for a cause which they felt strongly about. It was very empowering and eye opening because it shed light on issues that usually aren’t thought of when thinking about gun violence.”

Following the end of the speeches, students filed away and MoCo for Change members began cleaning up the stage and area.

“I believe in us, the power of the youth, to change our country,” Miller said to the crowd as students cheered on. “We refuse to live in fear. Yes, adults in office have failed us but we will not fail future generations, we will protest. We will vote. We will run for office and we will change this country.”

“I believe in us, the power of the youth, to change our country.”

-MoCo for Change President Dani Miller

Giselle Morch of Moms Demand Action spoke at the rally.

MCPS Implements New Guest Sign-In System

By ANNA STEWART News Managing Editor

Five months after the new guest sign-in system was implemented at RHS in October 2018, other schools are now also installing the system in their main offices throughout the county.

The check-in system requires that all visitors scan their driver’s licenses or other form of ID into a machine located in the main office upon entering the school. It is linked to the secretaries’ computers and will notify them if the name on the ID matches any name on a list of all registered sex offenders in the U.S. The name then has to be compared to a photo and if the name and picture on the ID match the ones on the registry, the person is denied any further access to the building.

Assuming that the guest is not a registered sex offender, the computer then fills in the guest’s information and they must select the category that they fall into (visitor, volunteer, etc.), the person they

are visiting (guidance, principal, specific classroom, etc.) and the reason for the visit. A picture is taken of them and a sticker is printed out that they must wear until they leave the building. A security guard or other staff member must escort guests to their destination who then must sign-out before leaving.

“We understand the importance of [the new system] and we’ve gotten used to it,” secretary Marilyn Rossie said.

“The only thing that I really don’t like is that people have to use their license every time they sign in. With the other system we had, once they were in the system we could just pull up their name and print a badge for them.”

RHS was one of few schools in the county testing out the new system, but it has since been implemented in all MCPS schools.

“I don’t think it’s excessive at all. It keeps the school safe so we know who’s in the building at all times,” security guard Will Morris said. “Safety of the children is all that matters to me.”

By IRIS VALENTIN Features Managing Editor The Foundations of Technology (FOT) class has been removed from the course selection options for the 2019-20 school year, upsetting many students who viewed the class as a way to get their technology credit required by the state for graduation.

Students now have the option of two classes to fulfill their technology credit: Foundations of Computer Science or Introduction to Engineering and Design (IED), the first class of the Project Lead the Way program.

Computer Science introduces students to the different fields of technology, including web design and cyber security, while IED teaches students more about the basics of engineering, with an emphasis on different work skills like drawing and the use of the Adobe InDesign program.

The counseling department says that they are removing FOT because it prevented students from exploring the other technology programs offered at RHS. “We wanted to offer more opportunities for students to choose between the two pathways based on their technology career such as Foundations of

News Briefs IB Expo Celebrates Senior Accomplishments

By MADDI KALES Staff Writer

After two years in the program, International Baccalaureate (IB) students celebrated their accomplishments by sharing their research March 7 at the IB Expo.

The IB Expo is an annual celebration that recognizes the work of students in the IB Diploma Program (DP) and Career Pathway Program (CP) with superlatives upon completion of the programs.

“After the tremendous amount of work we’ve put into this program, it’ll be nice to finally celebrate this achievement,” IBDP senior Alyson Kren said.

IB students spend around 50 hours working on their 4,000 word research papers or extended essays.

At the IB Expo, students share and receive recognition for their research with parents.

“I’m definitely excited to share [my research] with other parents and have the chance to talk about it because it’s something we’ve been working on for so long,” IBDP senior Brianna O’Neil said. “Validation is definitely a big part of it because [IB’s] been a lot of hard work and we definitely deserve recognition for it.”

BOE Releases 2020 Budget, Adds $55 Million

By ESTHER FRANCES Print Copy Editor

Students walked out Thursday to protest current gun laws.

Foundations of Technology Class Not Offered 2019-20 Photo by Brendan Stewart The new visitor sign-in machine located in the RHS Main Office. The machines are being installed throughout the county.

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Computer Science or Introduction to Engineering and Design (IED),” head counselor Alejandra Crawley said.

Students who have already signed up to take the class are affected by the decision as they must choose between the two programs to fill in their tech credit.

Freshman Andy Byrne has not yet gotten his technology credit, but learned about the removal of the class and feels it was a necessary measure taken by counseling, the administration and the technology department.

“It’s always unfortunate when classes are taken away and this decision was no exception,” Byrne said. “I was planning to take FoT for next year but then chose Computer Science because of the removal, but Computer Science allows me to challenge my brain with different kinds of activities in the class.”

Unlike Byrne, other students simply need to fill their tech credit to graduate rather than exploring technology as a career.

“I chose FoT because I thought it would be easier for me rather than the [other class],” said junior Erin Swan, who chose FoT as a technology credit instead of Computer Science. “But the class was boring for me and the curriculum was hard to follow with the amount of projects that we were given, in the end I’m glad that they chose to remove FoT.”

The MCPS Board of Education (BOE) released the 2020 Operating Budget for the Fiscal Year (FY) Feb. 13 which includes over $55 million more in funding than the previous year, intended for maintaining adequate services for the ever-growing school population, reducing class sizes and strengthening school security.

“This budget will better position MCPS to support student success, close the achievement gap, and prepare all students to thrive,” Board President Shebra Evans said in a Feb. 13 MCPS press release. “This is a schools-first and student-first budget. An investment in our students is an investment that will yield strong results for our community.”

The $2.66 billion budget will move to Montgomery County executive Marc Elrich and the Montgomery County Council, who will release their proposed budget by March 15. After the counsel proposes a final budget in May, the 2020 Operating Budget will not be approved by the BOE until June.

SAT Participation, Scores Improve for 2018

By EMMA SKOGLUND Staff Writer

SAT and ACT score averages improved last year after MCPS spent $450,000 to pay for all 11,000 seniors in the county to take one of them, according to a Feb. 11 Bethesda Magazine article.

Fees for the SAT and ACT range from $46 to $64.50, limiting some students from taking the college readiness tests. But last year when MCPS paid for seniors to take either one of the tests, participation and scores increased.

The MCPS class of 2018 had a 41-point increase on the average SAT score compared to 2017. The number of students taking the test also grew from 5,600 to 7,100.

Superintendent Jack Smith said he wanted to cover test fees because he believed it would create better opportunities and access to college for more students.

“If you can’t pay for the test, how are you going to get access to college?” MCPS spokesperson Derek Turner said in a Feb. 11 Bethesda Magazine article. “It’s irresponsible to say certain students can succeed, but only because they have the resources and others don’t.”

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EDITORIALS

R AMPAGE Editors-in-Chief: Elenna Mach Zoe Moser Emily Nagy Print Copy Editors: Colleen Barrett, Aidan Brami, Esther Frances News Managing Editors: Erin Bode, Anna Stewart Features Managing Editor: Iris Valentin Opinion Managing Editors: Andrew Coulibaly, Matthew Liu Sports Managing Editors: Matthew DiFonzo, Daniel Pujo Financial Specialist: Andrew Coulibaly Director of Photography: Renzo Ferruzo Photo Assisstant: Emily Reynolds Graphic Designer: Mark Schaefer Graphic Assistant: Delaney Potter Production Assistant: Michael Belluscio, Jacob Burkhardt, Willow Graves, Olivia Turner Staff Writers: Leyla Akselioglu, George Baldwin, Teddy Bilodeau, Elizabeth DiFonzo, Gili Golan, Jack Horan, Paige Krawczel, Alex Levy, Javier Lopez, Nathan Pianalto, Sabina Salguero, Brendan Stewart, Jack Welch, Olivia Turner, Jack Uhl Contributing Writer: Monica Blassou Video Production: Shane Hawkins, Jillian Verity, Eve Weeks, Vaughan Westcott Adviser: Nicholas Confino

The Rampage is published seven times per year by the journalism students of Rockville High School at 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, MD 20851.

We can be contacted at this address in room 2033, by phone at (301) 517-8105 or by email at rampagevol51@gmail.com.

The Rampage, print and online, aspires to present the truth. All unsigned editorials are the opinions of newspaper staff; opinion pieces represent the ideas of the writer, not the paper, RHS or MCPS. The Rampage welcomes comments on school or community issues from students, staff and the community, but has the right to edit or condense letters to the editor. Letters may be submitted to room 2033 or by email to rampagevol51@ gmail.com.

RHS Needs More Elective Choices When January rolls around, students begin deciding which classes to take for the upcoming school year, but as they create their new schedules many will face the reality that there are not that many interesting elective classes to choose from.

Creating next year’s schedule should be a time for students to explore their interests by selecting classes that are intriguing to them.

However, this critical time for students is mundane because after choosing required courses there are only a few enticing electives.

Following in the footsteps of Montgomery Blair High School’s (MBHS) new hip-hop and culture class that already has 120 students enrolled for next year, RHS should expand the course catalog with more electives to allow students to further their interests and break up the dullness of required classes.

The hip-hop class is the first class in this subject in the nation and MBHS social studies teacher Kenneth Smith is currently writing the curriculum with the help of his fellow teachers, African American museum curators and Timothy Jones, a lecturer and Hip-Hop Scholar in the Residence at Teachers College, Columbia University. Offering interesting class-

es like this allows students to explore a subject they are interested in while also still exercising important critical thinking skills.

Beginning in 2012, English teacher Sean Pang ran a new creative writing class in which students express themselves by writing poems and short stories rather than the formal essays in required English classes, Pang said. Currently there are about 60 students in the course and about 70 signed up for next year. RHS needs more of these interesting elective

classes as a breather from rigorous student schedules.

Some of the other popular RHS electives include Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology, child development and the International Baccalaureate (IB) sociology class combined with IB anthropology, counselor resource Alejandra Crawley said. Yet, these classes are still rooted in a traditional view of education whereas other MCPS high schools have more specialized electives that students can pick from.

Other high schools already offer a variety of non-traditional, interesting electives. Bethesda Chevy-Chase HS offers Chinese and Arabic courses; James Hubert Blake HS has an ancient and medieval history course and a mythology course; Winston Churchill HS has a website development class; Sherwood HS has a wildlife biology class; and Watkins Mill HS runs a modern urban world history class.

Education is undeniably important and specifically the core classes of mathematics, science, English and social studies. In order to adequately prepare students for the future though, it is necessary that students take specialized elective courses that pertain to their own interests because it provides a well-rounded education and encourages positive attitudes toward school.

RHS should distribute a survey asking students on what classes they’d like to take and give examples of what elective courses are offered at other high schools.

Following other schools’ leads, RHS needs to increase the number of unique electives. If it does not, students may be left without any respite from their schedules and their interests will be left uncatered.

Classes Should Have More Field Trips Students sitting in class, the teacher anchored at the promethean board, drones on through the lesson as the students fight off sleep.

Instead of forcing students to sit through lectures, field trips offer students a chance to bring those lectures to life.

Adding more field trips would not only be an opportunity for students to enjoy their education but it would also provide benefits for both teachers and students by providing a different style of learning. RHS should incorporate more field trips into its core classes such as English, math, science and social studies to provide students with more interactive learning as well as an opportunity to improve their knowledge on the respective subject.

Field trips often provide students with important information in addition to what they learn in the classroom. In 2013, 10,912 students were studied on how enriching field trips can be to their education by the

University of Arkansas. Half of the students attended the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Northwest Arkansas at the beginning of the year and the other half attended the field trip at a later date.

After the survey, 82 percent of students who visited the museum first were later able to recall more information on art, historical empathy and tolerance, according to The Atlantic Magazine in a 2013 article. The study highlights that field trips can help students cognitively, specifically in memory, information retention and critical thinking.

Additionally, test scores make up a large part of a student’s resume and field trips help boost those scores.

Students who participated in field trips through the Urban Advantage program score better on the state science test in a study by Emilyn Ruble Whitesell, a fifth-year doctoral student at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

This is largely due to stu-

dents paying more attention when there are interactive activities outside of the classroom.

There are students who view field trips as a way to get out of school. Though these students who slack off cannot be controlled, the majority of students don’t.

The benefits of field trips outweigh a couple slacking kids.

Honors chemistry teacher Anu Gupta said she believes in more field

trips offered for students.

As a science teacher, Gupta sees how various types of labs can help students find their passion for a certain future job because they are involved in their learning.

In order to add more field trips to curriculum, departments should hold monthly meetings where they propose ideas to provide students more interactive learning through field trips. Additionally, each school should add a field trip

coordinator who will work to find field trips that are beneficial to students and teachers.

Currently, there are not enough field trips and that needs to change. If more field trips aren’t added, students will find school less and less interesting and their education will suffer as a result. It is time to take learning out of the classroom and into the real world so students have a better idea of what their future might look like.

The Rampage is dedicated to correcting any errors that may appear in the newspaper. Those who wish to contact the paper for that purpose may email the Editors-in-Chief at rampagevol51@ gmail.com.

Recent Awards: 2019 Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Silver Crown Recipient, 2019 NSPA Online Pacemaker Finalist, 2018 CSPA Gold Medalist, 2018 NSPA All-American with five marks of distinction All other contents copyright Rockville High School journalism classes. All rights reserved.

In response to the debative article, “Should Live Assailant Drills Happen?”, I personally believe that assailant drills should be structured in high consideration of those suffering anxiety, PTSD, or other mental disorders that may be triggered in the practice. While the purpose of the drills are to prepare all individuals in the building, regardless of mental disorders, for an emergency; it is important to consider that in a real life situation, those who suffer mental disorders may not act as alert or responsive as others. Therefore, we should implement more discussion and personal practices that can assist those who struggle and let them know that they would not be alone in a situation as such.

I read about how three of my fellow seniors are going to Ivy League colleges. I agree that if you want to go to an Ivy League college, you need to have a stellar work ethic , be involved in extracurricular activities and when you have a hard time with problems, you will need to try your best to resolve them.

While reading the article, “Should Live Active Assailant Drills Happen?” I thought about how in my opinion, this choice has come far later than it should have. I think that regardless of the type of drill, students should be able to make a decision for themselves about how to respond to a stimulus such as a school shooter or even a fire. I think that someone should write an article expanding on this issue towards other drills such as lockdowns and fire drills. I think this would be much more effective than dismissing students slowly and meticulously, only to have half leave their class groups regardless.

- junior Michelle Medina

- senior Carmelo Smillo

- senior Ashley Tyler

6 RAMPAGE

March 25, 2019

OPINION Start a Conversation, Not a Cancellation Detrimental Psychological and Moral Effects of Society’s Cancelled Culture

By EMILY NAGY Editor-in-Chief He was the valedictorian of his senior class and went on to graduate summa cum laude from an Ivy League. Then to law school with an internship in a congressional office and a law degree with honors. He ran for Governor and won by a landslide. Now he’s been nominated for a prestigious cabinet position, and as he waits for his Senate approval, a controversial tweet from high school arises, and just like that, his career is over. He’s “cancelled.”

Although this specific scenario is hypothetical, in 2019, many people can build a life and career only to have it completely ruined in a matter of seconds. With the growing popularity of social media, personal lives are made public which gives society the opportunity to judge and possibly ruin the career of a stranger, creating the cancelled culture--think Kevin Hart, Matt Damon, Taylor Swift and the list goes on.

People need to re-evaluate the cancelled culture because the process subconsciously instills a message that no one is worthy of forgiveness or should be given the opportunity to change, which is detrimental to the collective morals of society as a whole. The mindset of “cancelling” a person is especially problematic for those in the public eye, such as politicians and celebrities who are seemingly always at risk of losing support over an old mistake.

Often times, the content needed to “cancel” someone can be found in the depths of the

internet. But, it can also be current news and now with the ubiquity of the internet, in the future more and more people could be dismissed because of one post or picture.

“Cancelling” people discourages character development and implies that everyone has to be perfect. One of the most well known examples of this is Kanye West, who has been cancelled himself but was able to continue with his career.

What society does not realize is as they are writing someone off, there is real harm to those being “cancelled.” In a June 2018 New York Times article, West talked about how being “cancelled” has impacted his career and mental state. “[I was] really medicated, shoulders slumped down, and my confidence was gone, which is a lot of the root of my superpower because if you truly have self-confidence, no one can say anything to you,” West said.

Despite the poor mental health, West worked to regain his confidence and slowly realized the irony of his position.

“Half the people that are listening to the album are supposed to not listen to the album right now. I’m canceled,” he said.

The underlying foundation of the cancelled culture is the idea that people can not change.

This, however, has been disproven many times, specifically recently with Virginia governor Ralph Northam. Northam was “cancelled” in early February for a 1984 racist photo on a page in his medical school yearbook. Society was quick to attack and call on Northam to resign for both the photo and the fact that he did not offer an apology or explanation in a timely manner, labelling him a racist immediately, but nothing in his political career has shown evidence of racism.

In fact, he has a record of speaking out against prejudice. As the governor of Virginia,

Northam was faced with the white supremacist-led “Unite the Right Rally” in Charlottesville as he was running for his position. Northam was quick to comment acknowledging and disowning the protests.

“White supremacists have descended upon Charlottesville again to evoke a reaction as ugly and violent as their beliefs — just as they did before, I am urging Virginians to deny them the satisfaction,” he said in an August 2017 Washington Post article. Northam did not let his cancellation define his career and he is still the governor of Virginia, because when looking at Northam’s career as a whole it is clear cancelling him over one controversial photo was excessive and inappropriate.

Another problem with the cancelled culture is that society sometimes embodies trends that are not politically correct. In 2011, a student could not walk down the hall without seeing one of their peers in a “Cool story babe, now make me a sandwich” shirt, a slur that is misogynistic, inferring a woman’s place is to simply cater to a man.

By today’s standards, anyone who owned that shirt could be cancelled when they were simply embracing a then accepted societal trend.

Instead of immediately writing someone or something off, it’s more appropriate to view the person in the larger context of his or her life. To be educated on a situation and its surroundings before an extreme measure is a more effective way to judge another person’s actions. Additionally, there is danger in these snap judgments, risking the loss of talent with the thought that only perfect people can endure. The question at hand should be if their comment or act embodies them or was it an out of character action. Not everyone is perfect and not every action should be a defining one.

Gun Control Protests Must Narrow Their Focus, Goals

By BEN KUSHNER Staff Writer Just weeks after last year’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, students from across the country faced the Capitol building, holding signs and giving speeches asking Congress for comprehensive gun legislation hoping that there would never be another school shooting in our country. Now, one year and another rally have passed and we know that the response to the 17 lost lives was an abundance of inaction; the response to the student voice— resounding silence.

Instead of protesting and trying to change Republican lawmakers’ minds, gun control activists should focus on convincing everyday Republicans who support universal background checks to come out in favor of HR8, a federal background check bill which recently passed the House of Representatives.

Moco for Change, a local gun activist group, made HR8 the focus of its second annual rally March 14 and plans to maintain political pressure on lawmakers in support of the proposed changes which close the gun show and private gun sale loopholes.

Last year’s protests yielded no returns, mainly because the protests themselves were geared toward lawmakers whose opinions were unlikely to change.

“Protests and rallies are just optics.

Protests don’t do much of anything; not in this realm. I mean you look at the million man march— what did it

Photo by Jacob Burkhardt Montgomery County students protest for gun control at the second annual high school walkout March 14 in Washington D.C. Students focused on pressuring lawmakers to come out in favor of HR8, a federal universal background check bill.

accomplish? Nothing. You look at the walkouts that were done nationwide over the Parkland shooting— what did those accomplish? Nothing,” said Charles Smith, professor of Political Science with a specialty in gun reform policy at Ohio State University.

For HR8 and S42’s Senate counterpart to pass, Democrats need Republican support. As it stands, the Republican-controlled Senate is unlikely to pass these measures.

“Practically speaking, the landscape has not changed for the prospect of enacting federal gun control ... In the Senate they don’t have the 60 [veto override] votes that they need, and there is a pro-Second Amendment president in the White House,” National Rifle Association (NRA) spokesperson Jennifer Baker said in a January inter-

view with NPR. Though protests don’t change minds, they act as a rallying cry to the people already connected to a movement. Gun control measures such as limiting magazine capacity and banning semi automatic weapons are opposed by many gun owners. However, expansions of Federal Background Checks like those suggested in HR8 and S42 have far more support across the political spectrum according to polling done in March of 2018 by NPR. Universal background checks are supported by over 90 percent of Americans according to a January 8 Washington Post Article. That substantial base has the power to unseat any lawmakers who do not vote for HR8 and S42. That base has simply not been energized yet.

Many Republican politicians have

the NRA’s money behind their decisions, Smith said.

However, the voters who put those politicians into office have no economic reason to oppose HR8. Therefore, protestors can use techniques such as reframing the debate to better reflect the values of patriotism and loyalty to convince them to be more vocal in their support of HR8. This can be a very effective persuasive technique according to a 2015 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

By using the stage of their rallies to gear their style of arguing to Republican voters and get them to be actively engaged in the movement to convince lawmakers to pass HR8 and S42, protestors can indirectly apply political pressure on pro-gun legislators and

create a movement whose support outweighs the benefits of staying aligned with the NRA. The students behind organizing the rally believe that their current approach has had and will continue to have a substantial effect.

“I think we just need to show more support. We need to write letters to our Congressmen and to our Senators.

We need to lobby to certain Senators,” senior and Communications Director for MoCo Students for Change, Giovanni Gutierrez said. “After last year I think HR8 and the Congressional hearing and all of these gun reform measures that are just happening were extremely influenced by March for Our Lives… We’re hoping this will have the same impact.”

While Gutierrez is correct that protests did have some effect, especially on Democrats, that there have still been no federal laws passed on this issue and few Republicans are reaching across the isle on it telegraphs that campaigning to legislators is not effective, and the approach needs to change.

Change comes through the action of the voters— not a group of students going out to protest, but all the voters: voters in blue states; voters in red states; voters who voted for Trump; and those who voted against him. The gun control activism movement can mobilize those people. They can stand at the doorsteps of the country’s most important legislative body and turn their backs to it, face the voters, and tell them that if their senators and representatives do not pass universal background checks, they are not representing the people. The protesters should make sure that those lawmakers who vote against the interests of the people won’t make laws for much longer.

RAMPAGE

OPINION

March 25, 2019

7

Should Schools Change Controversial Names?

PRO:

By GEORGE BALDWIN Staff Writer

In light of new national attention to insensitize school names, MCPS is making the right decision for its students by reviewing all school names and considering renaming any they deem to be named after Confederate leaders or racist historical figures.

Schools in MCPS named after Confederates or racists should change their names to be more appropriate and representative of the diverse student body they serve in 2019.

Most of the schools still named after racist leaders were built from 1950-70, when racism and segregation were widespread, according to a June 2018 History.com article.

Fifty years later demographics and popular attitudes have dramatically changed. Schools named after Confederate leaders or racists who fought for slavery and segregation do not represent the students and teachers who attend them.

In Montgomery County, Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle is a majority minority school with 60 percent of the students being Hispanic, 25.8 percent black and less than five percent white, according to a Feb. 6 article from Bethesda Magazine. While Col. E. Brooke Lee did help Montgomery County in many ways during his time as the governor of Maryland, including bringing water and electricity to certain areas, he also tried to segregate blacks and whites by refusing to sell land to those of African descent. MCPS is doing right by strongly considering renaming the school.

The name of a school is much more than just a sign above the entrance. Names are important to first impressions, and it is unfair to students and staff in schools with diverse and accepting communities in MCPS--or any school system--to have multiple schools named after racists and slave owners. It’s a selective argument to say that the good things some people have done make up for being racist. It is important to look at a person’s life with full context, but when it comes to racist comments or owning slaves, a larger pattern of thought and behavior is established. MCPS shouldn’t just praise the good and ignore the bad.

J.E.B. Stuart High School in Fairfax, Va.

named after a Confederate General showed the importance of a name after it gained celebrity attention. The school was renamed after Thurgood Marshall, following actress Julianne Moore and producer Bruce Cohen, both J.E.B. Stuart graduates, and many of the students started a Change.Org petition to make the name more representative, according to a May 2017 Patch article.

A major problem with renaming schools is the large cost. Name changes have cost more than $1 million dollars due to items with school logos that must be changed. Regardless of the price, students are passionate about this issue and have shown change is needed. Last year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students tore down a Confederate statue after the system board refused to take action.

U.S. school systems and MCPS specifically should change these schools’ names.

Currently, schools are waiting for students to speak up and demand change when they should be taking the initiative by renaming schools beforehand and MCPS should reevaluate their current naming procedure to guarantee that names are more representative of the changing demographics.

It is unfair to have students attend schools with offensive names that do not represent who they are. As MCPS revisits these school names, students will soon find out if the system is willing to take action.

CON:

By MATTHEW LIU Opinion Managing Editor

Over the past few years, a progressive movement dedicated to renaming statues, schools and other public places originally named after racist leaders of the past has risen to prominence. Many people, including Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro, want these schools renamed. However, their names should not be changed because we must learn from the painful lessons of history and renaming schools can become a slippery slope when every slaveholder needs to be questioned, potentially one day including the likes of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.

The names of all schools in Montgomery County will soon be reviewed to “ensure they are appropriate,” according to a Feb. 26 Bethesda Magazine article. However, by changing the names of any schools, MCPS would be encouraging people to forget valuable lessons that can be learned from these historical figures.

Speaking about Confederate mon-

Photo by Eve Weeks

uments, John Daniel Davidson of The Federalist, an online political magazine, said that though their original purpose was to venerate Confederate heroes like Robert E. Lee. Removing these monuments would undermine their modern-day de facto purpose of serving as a haunting and cautionary tale to the current generation. Similarly, if schools named after these figures of the past were to be renamed, MCPS would just be encouraging its students to erase the ugly parts of history, such as slavery and the Civil War, instead of providing students with important learning moments. Furthermore the school system should invest their energy and resources into various academic improvements, not panels to consider renaming schools.

People often forget that certain important founding fathers were slave owners themselves. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and John Jay all owned slaves for all or part of their lives, among other founding fathers, according to a 2016 Encyclopedia Britannica article. Will it someday be unacceptable to name schools after founding fathers or other important historical figures for public schools? And how far are people willing to go to erase the painful details of history?

Even if the scope of the renaming were to be limited to just Montgomery County schools, there would still be three high schools (HS), namely Col. Zadok Magruder, Thomas Sprigg Wootton and Richard Montgomery HS, that would need to be renamed because each person owned slaves at some point, according to a 2018 article by The Current of Watkins Mill HS. While it is understandable that some, including Navarro, want these schools renamed to better represent the student body of the present day, the costs of renaming large schools like Magruder, Wootton and Richard Montgomery HS would be enormous. If these schools were to be renamed, millions of dollars worth of school property and merchandise would have to be rebranded to adjust to the new name.

Instead all of that money should go toward more important things, such as investing in security, curriculum or classroom improvements and reducing class sizes, among many other important things.

Improving education should not include whitewashing history when so much effort is being put forward to teach it in the same schools that may be renamed.

The Risks of Defunding Planned Parenthood

By ESTHER FRANCES Print Copy Editor For over 100 years, non-profit organization Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., commonly referred to as Planned Parenthood, has provided reduced-fee sexual health care and resources for low-income individuals.

Additionally, Planned Parenthood offers flu and tetanus vaccines, diabetes screening and employment and sports physicals.

After a 2017 preliminary injunction was vacated by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Jan. 17, Planned Parenthood may be removed from the Texas state Medicaid funding program. Due to common misconceptions and negative stigmas associated with the organization such as Planned Parenthood being an abortion-only clinic, many have supported its defunding.

Approximately $3.4 million would be revoked from the organization, according to a Jan. 18 Washington Post article. This would cause the prices of important services, such as cancer screenings, methods of contraception and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment

to skyrocket. Planned Parenthood should not be defunded because many low-income individuals rely on the various discounted services it offers.

Approximately 60 percent of the 2.4 million Planned Parenthood patients rely on Medicaid funding for reduced care, according to the I Stand With Planned Parenthood website.

The reduced-fee general healthcare combined with the sexual health services and resources that Planned Parenthood provides create a necessary haven for many patients.

Negative stigmas associated with the organization, such as being an abortion-only clinic have caused many pro-life activists to be especially cruel and judgemental, such as Republican Kansas Sen. Steve Fitzgerald who called the organization “heinous” in a March 8, 2017 letter he wrote to Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

He also added how his name being associated with the organization was worse than “having one’s name associated with Dachau,” comparing Planned Parenthood to a Nazi concentration camp. This negative association, especially from a senator with great influence, is harmful to Planned Parenthood’s reputation and may contribute towards negative stigma towards the organization.

In reality, Planned Parenthood offers much more than just contraceptive methods. Out of over

570,000 cancer screenings given, 70,000 women had cancer detected or abnormalities identified early on, according to the Planned Parenthood 2017-18 report. If the organization is defunded, thousands of women may lose their opportunity to have cancers and other diseases identified early on, leading to potentially hazardous health consequences. Defunding the organization would also deprive millions of low-income patients to the sexual health care they deserve and can reasonably afford.

Furthermore, though a common stigma is that the organization only caters to women, over 250,000 male patients received services from Planned Parenthood, according to a June 2016 Planned Parenthood report.

In 2017, anti-abortion activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt made an undercover video attempting to reveal Planned Parenthood’s illegal selling of remaining fetal tissue for scientific research, according to a 2017 Washington Post article. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks declared the videos to not have enough evidence for Texas to defund the organization and therefore remanded the case to the district court. After two years, a three-panel judge decided Sparks used an incorrect standard of review, jeopardizing federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Though the video’s main argu-

ment for defunding the organization was on the basis of the abortion services provided, Texas state Medicaid will not cover abortion costs unless, under federal standard, the case involves rape, incest or life endangerment. Texas Planned Parenthood does not receive government funding for abortions -- therefore, attempting to defund the organization based off of its abortion services is cruel and unnecessary.

Building on the growing stigma, the Trump administration has introduced a new family-planning rule in which Planned Parenthood would

leave the Title X funding program, thereby losing $60 million of annual government funds. If this happens, 1.6 million women who rely on Title X for their Planned Parenthood care would lose the organization’s services, putting their sexual and medical care in serious jeopardy.

Millions risk losing their basic healthcare because of politically driven misconceptions. People need to see beyond the stigmas and recognize the organization for all it embodies. This way its government funding would not be jeopardized and countless people will continue to benefit from Planned Parenthood’s services.

8 RAMPAGE

PANORAMA

March 25, 2019

Best of DMV Music Venues

By TEDDY BILODEAU Staff Writer Bass vibrating from wall to wall. Music pounding from the large speakers hanging from the ceiling. The crowd jumps along to the music, shaking the floor. The artist grabs the microphone and asks the crowd how they’re doing; the response is made up of screams and a sea of phones snapping photos.

The artist isn’t the only aspect that goes into making a concert a great time.

The venue plays a huge role in making an enjoyable atmosphere for concert-goers. Whether it’s inside or outside, food, drinks and setting all play a part in making a memorable night. Each venue varies in size, distance and location attracting all kinds of different global talent.

The Rampage took a look at a few local indoor and outdoor venues to spotlight some of the best spots for students to experience a concert.

The Anthem has some exciting shows coming up in the next three months that might be appealing to students including IHEARTRADIO’S Blossom Bash with Meghan Trainor headlining the event and Max and Jake Miller performing April 4, Kenny Chesney April 19, Kodak Black and Roddy Ricch April 24 Lil Pump and Lil Skies May 8 and JUICE WRLD May 17.

The Fillmore - Silver Spring The Fillmore in downtown Silver Spring is the clos-

venues due to its convenient proximity.

“It’s so close that you can take an uber or have someone drop you off,” Rutter said.

“You can get in and out pretty quickly and it feels like a small intimate venue, but it is also big enough to where you’re not seeing the same people over and over.”

Upcoming shows are DABABY and Yung Manny April 5, DMV springfest with Key Glock, Lightshow, Moneymarr and more April 17, and J.I.D with Saba and MEZ May 3.

Jiffy Lube Live Bristow, Va. Jiffy Lube Live is both the largest and farthest away from RHS. It is also the only outside venue of the three.

The drive is about an hour and a half depending on traffic. With a capacity of over 25,000, this venue attracts the biggest names in the music industry.

Berklee College of Music committ, Franco Ferruzo, appreciates the large capacity of the venue.

“You are able to see a lot of people you know and meet new people as well, which makes the experience one to remember,” Ferruzo said.

Along with its larger size, Jiffy Lube has many more features than other venues including many more food and drink options than The Anthem and The Fillmore.

There are three different ticket options when purchasing for an event: either being in the mosh pit, stadium seating, or lawn (general admission).

Upcoming shows include country superstars Florida Georgia Line Aug. 3, rock band icon KISS Aug. 11 and the Zac Brown Band Aug. 25 .

“You are able to see a lot of people you know and meet new people as well, which makes the experience one to remember,” The Anthem - Washington D.C. The Anthem is the newest venue of -senior Franco Ferruzo the three, which opened Oct. 16, 2017 and has a modern feel to it with an industrial entrance. It is located on Wharf street in the southwest waterfront neighborhood of Washington D.C. Concert-goers can travel there by metro or by car in about an hour.

This venue has a moveable stage which allows the capacity to range from 2,5006,000 people at events.

Junior Lizzie Weir, who enjoys going to concerts with friends, has been to The Anthem a few times and appreciates its design. “[I enjoy] the spacious layout of the venue and how you can see the stage from just about anywhere you are inside,” she said.

est i n proximity out of all the venues. It is a 25-minute drive from RHS. But, the fastest way to get there is by metro. This venue features two parallel high tops on opposite sides of each other that stretch the length of the main area serving food and drinks. The Fillmore can hold roughly 2,000 people for any single event and it hosts many artists that attract a younger audience.

English teacher Jessie Rutter enjoys going to The Fillmore compared to other

Photo by Anna Stewart

Photo by Monica Blassou

Left: Fans jump with the smoke machines and strobe lights at Chance the Rapper concert at the outdoor veneue Jiffy Lube Live June 4, 2017.

Right: Fans pack the venue and record videos waiting for the opening act to perfrom at the Dec 15, 2017 Lil Uzi Vert concert at the Anthem.

RAMPAGE 9

March 25, 2019

Gunna: ‘Drip or Drown 2’

Drake: ‘So Far Gone’

By AIDAN BRAMI Print Copy Editor

By MONICA BLASSOU Staff Writer

Coming in with his fifth edition of the drip-themed album collection, rapper Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, better known as Gunna, dropped “Drip or Drown 2,” a 16-track album, Feb. 22; and while the album builds on the success of his previous efforts, it has too many stale moments.

There are plenty of good songs on the album, but the beats feel monotonous. They are similar in sound and speed, and listeners can easily forget which song they are listening to while playing the album.

“Drip or Drown 2” is Gunna’s first official studio album, which sold almost 90,000 album equivalent units in the first week. Although this is his first studio album, Gunna has released four mixtapes and one Extended Play (EP).

His third mixtape, “Drip Season 3,” was his first appearance on the Billboard 200 and debuted at number 55.

Gunna starts off with the best song on the album, “Wit It.” The song’s hook is an ode to his recent monetary success,

One decade after its original release, Aubrey Graham, famously known as Drake, surprised his fans with an anniversary stream of his 2009 hit mixtape “So Far Gone,” shocking many with his unfamiliar sound from 10 years ago.

The mixtape first dropped Feb. 13, 2009 with the record label October’s Very Own (OVO) as one of Drake’s first independent projects. Coming off of an acting career and being most famously known for his time on the Nickelodeon show “Degrassi,” Drake introduced his rap skills to the world.

The release shot to top of the charts in 2009 with 17 songs and was a breakthrough for Drake with famous singles such as “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful” and features by Lil Wayne, Trey Songz and Bun B. The re release of the album has made younger fans compare his old music to the current sounds they are used to today.

“Hearing ‘So Far Gone’ now makes me realize just how much music has changed over the years,” junior Felix

Artwork by Spike Jordan

saying “Bank-roll got hundreds and fifties I took 2 million, admit it, I’m truly committed.” He also gloats about his new purchases: “Back-to-back Maybachs and Bentleys shows back-to-back, my coupe paid off commission.”

“3 Headed Snake” features one of Gunna’s mentors, Young Thug. Gunna is also signed to Young Thug’s record label, YSL records. “‘3 Headed Snake’ was pretty good, but it’s definitely mumble rap. It was a good album, but no mumble rap is ever going to be anything special,” senior Colin Gabele said.

Ariana Grande: ‘thank u, next’

By JACK UHL Staff Writer

Ariana Grande released her Grammy award winning album “thank u, next,” Feb. 8 and it is the best album Grande has produced. The album is filled with songs that easily hype the listener up and make them feel empowered, and then there are other tracks that inspire feelings of wanting to break up with a significant other.

The album was written after a rough year for Grande, which included a bombing at her concert in Manchester, England, a failed engagement and the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller.

Grande turned her pain into lessons that have inspired people to make the best out of the worst.

Songs such as “NASA” empower women as she sings about needing space from her significant other in order to shine.

“It’s showing that women are powerful too, that she doesn’t need a man which is really empowering to some girls,” senior Emely Castillo said.

Her previous album, “Sweetener,” was refreshing as it was a bit of a new

Weezer has been in the internet spotlight recently after releasing a cover of Toto’s “Africa.” What started as an internet meme eventually gained traction and resulted in fans making a petition to get Weezer to cover the song on their cover album, “The Teal Album” which released in late January. Weezer remains in the public eye with their recent follow up and 13th album, the “Black Album,” released March 1.

Frontman River Cuomo is no stranger to writing catchy hooks and sing along choruses; although a decent album, the “Black Album” does not hold up to Weezer’s previous works.

The album comes off as a cash in and an attempt to remain relevant in 2019.

“The big idea for the ‘Black Album’ was to write all of the songs on the piano, so I think that gives it some of that classic songwriter-y feel,” Cuomo told Beats 1’s Zane Lowe.

Songs like “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and “Living in L.A.” are upbeat but have repetitive lyrics which showcase

Artwork by Republic

Rivera said. “His flow has definitely improved.”

Unlike much of today’s hip hop, Drake’s lyrics addressed his struggles, romantic relationships and newfound fame, not resorting to drug use or degrading women.

In the re released version, Drake added “Congratulations,” a song emphasizing how far he has come and thanking his fans for everything they’ve done for him.

“I got the key to happiness and all the copies,” Drake sing. He reassures his fans that he is working on an album to be highly anticipated.

Weezer: ‘Black Album’

By CORINA VALLDEJULI Staff Writer

sound for Grande, it had a more serene vibe. This album, “thank u, next,” however, was when Grande ultimately found her style; which is more hype pop, included no features and really took it home.

Some fans were less excited about this album noting how Grande has focused too much on communicating about materialistic things and distancing herself from heartfelt emotions.

“Her songs basically just talk about her, her money and her problems,” junior Andrea Perez said.

Admired or not, it’s evident that Grande has finally found her sound with a lot more flow.

Artwork by Caitlin Cronenberg

Artwork by Artlantic

the pop direction that Weezer has moved toward. It is different from previous works such as the “Blue Album” and the “Green Album” because of the lack of emphasis their traditional rock elements.

The album is catchy and worth listening to, but is definitely not Weezer’s best work; it comes off as insincere. For the most part, the lyrics were meaningless, hard to connect with and repetitive. However, it is an upbeat album, destined to leave the listener in a good mood.

10 RAMPAGE

March 25, 2019

FEATURES 3 Maryland Natives Who Forever Changed History

By EMMA HOURIGAN & EMILY TRAN Staff Writers Since 1976, February has been dedicated as Black History Month, a time used to recognize and honor the achievements of African Americans throughout U.S. history.

Maryland has been home to some of the most influential African Americans in history; Thurgood Marshall, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, all natives of Maryland who spent their lives fighting to advance the rights of African Americans.

Thurgood Marshall Marshall was born July 2, 1908 in Baltimore, Md., listening to local courthouse cases as a pastime while growing up. He went on to be a renowned Supreme Court Justice, lawyer, civil rights activist and Chief Counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

As an African American, Marshall knew about racial injustice from an early age and strove to pursue a profession in law, seeking justice for minorities. Further into his career, he won the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, declaring it unconstitutional for schools to be segregated, giving African Americans access to equal education.

Along with this case, Marshall represented and won 29 out of 32 civil rights cases before the Supreme Court.

President Lyndon B. Johnson eventually appointed Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967 making him the 96th justice and the

first African American to serve.

Marshall serves as an influential figure to students today because of his perserverance and accomplishments despite so many obstacles. ”To see that he was able to overcome the odds against him, it makes me feel like with the opportunities that I have now, I should have no excuse in pursuing my wanted profession,” freshman Joyce Onana said.

Frederick Douglass Douglass was born Feb. 14, 1818 in Talbot, Md., and escaped slavery to become a leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. Once free, Douglass traveled around the states to give speeches on abolishing slavery and published his own book, The Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass.

Douglass then became a close confidant of President Abraham Lincoln, encouraging him to enforce equal pay between black and white soldiers.

“His whole life he spent fighting for equal rights, not just black people but for women and for immigrants,” English teacher Krista McKim said.

In the past, Maryland schools have been pressured to avoid speaking of Douglass since he was enslaved in Talbot County.

However, this precedent has changed in recent years after Douglass and Tubman were recently granted statues in the Maryland State House January 2019.

“Maryland is definitely starting to recognize the contributions that he has brought to our state,” McKim said.

Harriet Tubman Tubman was born Jan. 9, 1820 into slavery in Dorchester County, Md., along with eight siblings.

She is known for being the conductor of the Underground Railroad, where she risking her life to help slaves escape to freedom by traveling back and forth from the South to the North.

Tubman’s success led slave owners to post a $40,000 reward for her capture. She was determined to rescue as many slaves as possible despite her reoccuring temporal lobe epilepsy caused by a traumatic head injury sustained from her former slave owner.

Tubman went on to lead over 300 slaves to freedom without getting caught.

“She was always willing to help, from assisting the Union troops during the Civil War, to helping countless slaves, and working as a nurse,” history teacher Jillian Kennedy said. “Her bravery inspired many to take the dangerous trip North. She was an integral part of anti-slavery efforts and changed the lives of many with her generosity and selflessness.”

Marshall, Douglass and Tubman, along with countless others, are celebrated today to remind us that anything is possible with determination and passion.

“It’s important for black kids to see people that look like them be represented in such a positive light because the way that black people are sometimes portrayed, it’s not a healthy way of growing up,” Onana said. “To see people who have fought so hard for them to be able to be free, it gives a sense of purpose and belonging in the community.”

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Thurgood Marshall was appointed by President Johnson in 1967, becoming the first ever African American Supreme Court justice.

By ANNA STEWART News Managing Editor It appears to be the typical high school classroom. But walk past the desks and promethean board, and watch as the room suddenly transforms. It becomes filled with cubbies, bright bulletin boards with a letter and theme of the week, puzzles, blocks and even a class pet rabbit. Take a closer look, and there’s a secret room for observation and a kitchen in the back.

This is the child development classroom, home to the Rockville Rompers Preschool and the place where many RHS students have said they found their passion for teaching.

RHS is one of 20 high schools in the county that offers the early childhood development program, a four-year program consisting of Child Development 1, Child Development 2, Child Development 3 and the Child Development Internship, which aim to provide students with the opportunity to learn what it takes to be a teacher in a real-life setting.

“What surprises me more than anything is the natural teaching ability that shows up for some students who never thought that they would be teachers,” child development teacher Julie James said. “And they just fall in love with it and decide that’s what they want to do.

That’s what’s really cool about the program.”

MCPS releases both a pre-K and high school curriculum, but each school is given leeway to set up their program the way they would like.

At RHS, there is a four-year-old program in the morning and a three-year-old program in the afternoon, so students in second, third or fourth period teach the four-year-olds and students in

Harriet Tubman is known for being a leader of the Underground Railroad, during which she lead over 300 slaves to freedom.

sixth, seventh or eighth period teach the threeyear-olds.

But regardless of which preschoolers they are teaching, all students participate in a four day rotation of planning, observation, research and teaching. On Wednesdays when the preschool is closed, students learn about stages and theories of human development from birth through adolescence and ways they can improve their teaching skills.

It isn’t until the fourth course, the Child Development Internship, when students apply the knowledge and skills they’ve learned in previous years to an authentic experience outside of the preschool. They begin preparing towards the end of their third year, taking an interest survey and collaborating with professionals in a related career field to set up their internship for the upcoming year.

“I think the days spent actually teaching and interacting with the kids were most helpful in preparing me for my internship [and future career],” senior Marie Kurtz said. “You get to deal with situations that you might not get to learn about in classrooms so you’re really prepared for anything. A textbook can’t do that.”

Rockville has one of the bigger, completer programs in the county, and there are typically about 20 kids in the internship class each year, according to James.

Though interns no longer teach in the preschool, they participate in a seminar once a month where they go over the things they’re learning and are later required to write their own educational philosophy based on what they have learned. James also observes each of the interns once a marking period.

Senior Brian Reyes took the class freshman

Frederick Douglass became a leader of the abolitionist movement upon escaping from slavery in Maryland and moving to New York.

year because he always thought he was good with kids. But, he had no idea of the impact that the kids would have on him, ultimately leading him to discover a new path for his future. He is currently in his third year of the program, taking Child Development 3 and interning for RHS physical education teacher, Frank Weaver. He plans to major in secondary and physical education at Salisbury University next year.

“When I started working with the kids in child development, it would always make me feel so good knowing they learned something because of me or I did something for them,” Reyes said. “And it made me realize that I wanted to be a teacher; so I can help kids be half decent minded in the future.”

Senior Arisa Medley began the program her freshman year, but unlike Reyes, knew from the start that she wanted to be a teacher. She currently interns at the Tikvat Jewish Preschool and plans to major in early childhood education next year.

“I love kids. I love working with them and building relationships with them,” Medley said.

“It’s so special seeing them develop and grow as they get older, and know you played a part in it.”

Upon completion of the program, students receive the 90 + 9 Clock Hours Certification, which fills the “pre-service training” requirement to work in a Maryland state child-care center, internship opportunities and up to nine credits that can replace the foreign language graduation requirement.

Now, as most high school seniors are stressing over which college to go to and what to major in, thes seniors in RHS’ Child Development program have already found their passion and future path in life: teaching.

Photo by Anna Stewart

Photo courtesy of Jason Lomax Groups plan two to three activities for their teaching day that go along with the theme of the week.

RAMPAGE 11

FEATURES

March 25, 2019

Best Burger on a High School Budget

By DANIEL PUJO & JACK WELCH Sports Managing Editor and Staff Writer

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P u jo

best spot for RHS students.

Each restaurant was judged on distance from RHS, taste of the burger and price. The restaurants are rated on a scale of burgers, ranging from one to five (five being the best).

to sb

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While the burger originated in Germany during the 19th century, it quickly became a staple in the American diet.

The Rampage set out to find the best burgers in the area, sampling three local restaurants to choose which is the

Winner: The Habit

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Fuddruckers Located at 1592A Rockville Pike, Fuddruckers is less than two miles from RHS. Fuddruckers offers good burgers at decent prices. Starting at $7.75, the hamburger provides a reliable option for any burger lover. The large cheeseburger comes out to $1 more than the regular. The burger had a good taste as the cheese was melted perfectly onto the burger which most places fail to do. Fuddruckers also offers a tex-mex burger, which is made up of fresh avocado, smokehouse bacon and pepper jack cheese.

In addition to the array of burgers Fuddruckers has to offer, the steak fries compliment the burger very well giving it that complete meal. The customer service was good with workers who were welcoming and the food came out relatively quickly.

Fuddruckers is a a reliable place to get a burger for a reasonable price, and the customer service isn’t bad, but overall the quality of the burger fell short of other places as the size wasn’t as large as it should be given the price.

Five Guys

The Habit Burger Grill, located on 895 Rockville Pike, is seven minutes away from RHS and did not disappoint.

The main thing that stood out was their outstanding customer service as patrons are greeted with kindness. Their burgers are different from other restaurants as they are charbroiled. A No. 1 meal includes a charburger with cheese, fries and a drink and costs $7.40.

Those a little more hungry can have a double charburg-

er with cheese for $1 more.

There are also other types of burgers such as a teriyaki or mushroom swiss. Right when the food is ready, the smell is amazing and the taste is too.

The charbroiled style makes it taste so much better than a normally cooked burger, and the french fries are very crispy but not too hard. The Habit Burger Grill is friendly, good tasting and priced well. Overall it is the most reliable spot for students

Located on 130 Gibbs Street, Five Guys Rockville is nine minutes away from RHS. A bacon cheeseburger costs $9.39, “little” fries cost $3.49 and a regular fountain drink is $2.49. For those who eat smaller portions, a little cheeseburger is $6.49.

Five Guys offers unlimited toppings as well. The bacon cheeseburger was a good size for the price and had an enticing aroma and lots of flavor. The burger was huge with the

By ZOE MOSER Editor-in-Chief Senior Posse scholar Christian Melgar is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. In fact, his determination has propelled him to be named as one of Bethesda Magazine’s Extraordinary Top Teens, a standout award for adolescents in Montgomery County.

Bethesda Magazine’s Top Teen award is presented to high achieving students in Montgomery County who are well-rounded and accomplished. The annual award is announced in the March/April print copy of the magazine.

Melgar is currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) for childhood development and has an extensive resume full of distinguished activities.

Melgar credits his hard work to his parents, whom he observed working around the clock to provide for him.

“I witnessed my parents working and their work ethic and I will forever admire them for that, but it’s not something that I want for myself,” Melgar said. “You know being born in the U.S. and being raised in an area, that’s very suburban, where there are so many things close to you...I wanted to take advantage of all those resources to the max.”

Melgar was nominated for the Bethesda Magazine award by International Baccalaureate coordinator Laurie Ainsworth upon recommendation by English teacher Catherine Byrne, due to his strong work ethic and outgoing personality, they said.

After Melgar was announced a winner, he had an interview with Bethesda Magazine as well as a photoshoot at the Stone Ridge school.

Though Melgar is now recognized as a hardworking student, it was not always the case.

cheese melted perfectly and an even distribution of the toppings. Where Five Guys lacks is its overall environment; the restaurant is dull and the customer service wasn’t inviting.

Everything about the meal was solid, and the location is fairly close to RHS. Although the prices are high, the food is worth the money. Five Guys is recommended to those who love big burgers and have a big budget.

Christian, when he entered my class his sophomore year, was emotive, and expressive, and unfocused...and was sporadic about assignments, homework, reading,” Byrne said.

“Then the Christian that entered my class as a senior was about 180 degree shift from that previous person; he was focused, he was academic, he was applying for college, applying for this Posse Scholarship, interested entirely and understanding that he would attend and graduate from a four year university; there was a drive and a grit about him that I had not seen ever from him.”

Frustrated by the direction of his life, Melgar decided to change his life around midway through high school. Since that change junior year, Melgar has been able to realize his true potential and has discovered a passion for teaching and working with children.

“I remember being in on-level classes being like, ‘wow, I’m so stupid,’ and then all of a sudden I was like, ‘I’m enrolling in IB, I don’t know why, I don’t know what is going to be expected, but put me in,’ and so I did and eventually I started to develop those skills and seek help when I need it,” Melgar said.

“I babysit my nieces... I tend to make it into like a teaching moment, so I bought them a little curriculum book from Costco and we sit on the kitchen table and I just start teaching them math, reading, writing; basic skills that kids need to know.”

Next fall, Melgar will attend Bucknell University and hopes to bring new policy change by creating leadership and advocacy groups and increasing cultural awareness and diversity.

“My drive or motivation to succeed is when people tell me that I can’t,” Melgar said.

“I’d like to say that I’m not a very competitive person but when you tell me I can’t do something, I’m gonna do it just to prove you wrong.”

12 RAMPAGE

By LEYLA AKSELIOGLU Staff Writer The Rampage sat down with Moco Snow creator, Alex Tsironis, to gain insight on the popular local website dedicated to predicting school cancellations and delays. RHS students submitted questions for Tsironis.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

Rampage: What made you want to start making predictions about school cancellations? (Junior Jadiah Piatt).

Alex Tsironis: I loved doing it when I was a student in MCPS, and then I became a teacher and I still loved it. I would always do the predictions for my students in our health class and I would, on like a bulletin board, reveal it at the end of class.

And when those students ended up going to high school I made a website so they could follow along, and with that came the social media and stuff like that.

R: How does it feel to have this large of an influence and follow amount? How did your follower amount build up? (Junior Faizaan Shirazi) AT: It feels awesome! I remember the first year I got Twitter I had reached a thousand and I was like, “Oh my goodness, a thousand people like care about what I have to say about the weather.” And now I think

FEATURES

March 25, 2019

Graphic by Mark Schaefer

it’s over 26,000 and it’s unbelievable; 26,000 on Twitter and there’s 1415,000 on Facebook and then 38,000 people- or 42 now, thousand people subscribed to the website. So they get the updates when they come out, and I like that it went from just some of my students, to students and teachers, to students, teachers, parents, and now it’s like people that have nothing to do with the schools still care about the predictions.

R: Have you ever been wrong about a prediction? And if so, why?

(Sophomore Jaxon Lee) AT: Yes, I’ve been wrong. I think overall it’s up to eight incorrect predictions, and it’s usually just because I think we’re going to be off and we’re not. It’s rare that it’s the other way around, that I think we’ll be on and we’re off. Sometimes it’s a very tough decision to make for MCPS and we have to wait ‘till 5 A.M. and obviously I have to sleep so I can’t monitor the roads from 2 A.M. to 5 A.M., so I just make my best guess the night before, and unfortunately sometimes it’s wrong.

R: Is there a systematic method you use to determine your predictions? If so, can you describe it?

(Sophomore Andrew Campion) AT: I mean, it’s not systematic.

I look at what a bunch of different weather models say, what local media has to say, and then I look at similar situations in the past. I’ll look at like Tuesday of 2014, we also got one to

Photo courtesy of Alex Tsironis Watkins Mill High School alum and arts, physical education and health resource teacher at North Bethesda Middle School, Alex Tsironis runs MoCoSnow. He has taught in MCPS for over a decade and has accumlated 27,500 Twitter followers.

two inches that fell over night, and on that day we delayed, so I look at that and I make my decision based on that.

The Moco Snow app has specific percentages, and people are like “How do you know that it’s only a 53% chance?”

I don’t. I make that number up. You know it’s a number that I think, it’s a little higher than 50, not quite 55, so I say 53 or something like that. There’s no specific reason why it’s 81%, or 27%, with the pencil it’s a little more general. It’s usually based on what’s coming, what’s fallen and what happened in similar situations in the past.

R: If you had the chance to move up and work for the county, in terms

of determining the cancellation of school, would that be something you would be interested in? If you did work for the county, would you still post on your Twitter? (Sophomore Jason Diaz) AT: I don’t think I would, because then that would take away the fun out of like, you know, trying to guess what they’re gonna do because I would be out there looking or getting that information. I also love teaching so I don’t think I would ever leave teaching to go predict snow days for two months out of the year. It’s very fun, I love doing it, and I think I’ll continue to do it as long as I can, but I don’t think I would ever move towards doing that forever.

Scan the QR Code to watch the full interview from Snapchat or Photos.

College Application Process: Difficulty Waiting

“It’s been hard to focus on much else for the past couple months because this whole thing has taken so much time and work.”

-senior Brian Reyes

-senior Barrie Pasternak

ach

“Finding out about scholarships will play a large role in where I end up going.”

to hear from the other four schools that I got in, and before that, I had trouble focusing on school or really anything else until I heard back, it really took some weight off my chest,” Wells said.

With acceptances coming in, many seniors have noticed that their “senioritis” has increased, with motivation and work ethic levels decreasing.

“Towards the end of school it’s not just one thing, but I feel there definitely is a lack of motivation for me to get things done like I used to when I had a goal in mind,” Wells said.

The amount of stress that comes with college applications has also spread to juniors.

“I have started to think about it [college applications] a lot, but I haven’t actually done anything about it yet,” junior Phoebe Reiter said. “I also feel pressure from friends that are seniors that have told me how much of a time-consuming process it is and I am really just not looking forward to it at all.”

While some juniors and underclassmen might already o be feeling the t o Ph pressure of college applications and decisions resulting in negative outcomes, there is still hope. “ T h e outcome is worth the long rigorous process,” Wells said. len na M

that early action is the widely favored one in the college app world because it allows the applicant to hear back from any given school and still have time to consider the other options that one might have to consider such as other school offers and financial aid opportunities.

Senior Samuel Wells applied to five schools in the early action fashion as well this past fall, and was deferred from his “reach school,” Northeastern University in Boston.

A “reach school” is a school that the applicant does not expect to get in but believes that there is still a slight chance. On the other end of the spectrum, a “safety school” is one in which the applicant applies to in order to fall back on if they haven’t gotten into one of their top choice schools.

A deferred or waitlisted decision means that the student has not been accepted at the current time, but they still have a chance to be accepted within the regular decision pool of applicants.

Regardless, Wells was grateful to finally hear back from all the schools that he was accepted to and to have other offers to choose from.

The worry and wait was finally over for him which was comforting as it is easy for students to grow discouraged during the waiting period.

“I was really happy and relieved

yE

As the May 1 national decision day for colleges quickly approaches, stress sets in for seniors as they grapple with their final days of high school and struggle to decide where to further their education.

The thought process of students after their applications have been sent varies. One similarity among seniors is that it is difficult to think of anything else, constantly refreshing emails and checking mailboxes for a response.

For senior Brian Reyes, who applied to seven different schools across the U.S. this fall, applications have taken priority over his classes throughout the first semester.

“It’s been hard to focus on much else for the past couple months because this whole thing has taken so much time and work,” Reyes said.

After receiving his acceptance letters, Reyes completed financial research for scholarship opportunities and campus tours.

He has decided to attend Salisbury University (SU) next fall.

This consideration of financial aid and scholarships also seems to be a recurring theme among seniors who are having trouble making their college decisions such as senior Barrie Pasternak.

“Finding out about scholarships will play a large role in where I end up going,” Pasternak said.

In hopes of receiving these scholarship opportunities, Pasternak submitted all of her applications by the early action deadlines.

An early action application gave her the opportunity to hear back faster from schools, therefore giving her more time to make her decision.

Tuition is not the only factor Pasternak is considering. She also plans to factor in which school has the best Biology and Pre-Med program between University of Maryland College Park (UMD), University of South Carolina (USC) and the University of Wisconsin Madison (UW).

Students also have the option of applying early decision, which differs from early action. In this type of application, students are legally bound to attend the school they applied to, if accepted. This gives them the best chance of getting in by committing to the school, but it also puts pressure on students because they need to commit to one school, and before financial aid is specified.

All of these types of applications have there advantages, but it seems

sb

By GILI GOLAN Staff Writer

“Until I heard back, it really took some weight off my chest. The outcome is worth the long, rigorous process.”

-senior Sam Wells

March 25, 2019

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RAMPAGE 13

14 RAMPAGE

SPORTS

Senior State Ranked Marksman

Photo courtesy of Mark Wildman

By ELIZABETH DIFONZO Staff Writer Most athletes perfect their skills through years of practice, which includes running through plays, running laps and completing intense physical drills to grow stronger at their sport. For senior Drew Latos, he has climbed to the top of his sport by standing still, taking steady aim with a firearm.

In his age group, Latos is ranked number one in Maryland for shooting, equally adept at hitting a stationary target or one moving through the air at 70 mph. This is an achievement that even life-long shooters consider impressive, especially if they’ve been in the sport fewer than 10 years.

“I started shooting when I was only nine years old,” Latos said. “My dad and his friends, Mark Wildman and Andrew Sprague got me into it.

Once I tried it, I loved it. I started off at a very slow pace and just focused on learning the basics, and as I got older I began shooting competitively at local ranges. Then I started to win tournaments.”

Latos has traveled across the U.S. to places such as Texas, Chicago and New Jersey, earning respect and admiration from peers and veterans alike as he continues to win tournaments.

Latos said he hopes that his success will earn him sponsorship opportunities in the future. Some of Latos’ friends have been sponsored by Beretta, one of the biggest gun companies in the world, a company which Latos hopes to be sponsored by.

Sponsors provide clothing, free ammunition and specialty guns, as well as pay tournament entry fees which can range from $100-$200. Latos tries to make it to as many tournaments as possible because they are good practice and attract college scouts. Being sponsored will make it a lot easier to participate in all of the tournaments because costs are covered, Latos said.

“It is not a cheap sport,” Wildman

March 25, 2019

said. “You have to buy the ammunition and the shotguns. Each box of ammunition is $5 for 25 shotgun shells. When Drew and I start to get ready for tournaments, we go out to practice and each shoot about 250 rounds in two hours, so the expense of the ammunition really starts to add up.”

Wildman has been shooting with Latos for nine years. He said that Latos is one of the best marksman he has ever seen. In shooting tournaments, participants shoot at clay discs called “birds” that are launched into the air at 70 mph.

In a recent 100 bird tournament, Latos shot at a total of 100 birds, hitting 96 of them successfully.

Wildman said that when he was growing up, there were more kids in his school who shot guns as a hobby. Over the years, however, the number of people that shoot for sport has decreased significantly, due to the fact that many people have negative feelings about guns, he said.

“People think that guns are bad, when really guns are not bad; they can be used for a sport,” Wildman said.

Latos’ other friend, Sprague, who has been shooting since he was young, said that the sport is not just about skill.

“It is mostly mental. Drew has grown mentally, physically and emotionally over time. That is what makes him a highly skilled shooter,” Sprague said.

Latos never feels a sense of pressure when stepping up to each shooting station, and is able to rise to the opportunity, separating him from others, Wildman said.

“Drew has an incredible ability that he was born with to excel under pressure. For a lot of athletes it is the opposite, but Drew really has an amazing talent,” he added.

For now, Latos is content to compete at tournaments around the country. He continues to excel and be noticed as one of the best shooters in the state.

“When you watch a really good shooter shoot, it is just amazing, and Drew has all of that. He is so fun to watch,” Wildman said.

Dancers Shine in Spotlight

By ELENNA MACH Editor-in-Chief

Aside from the typical sports played with sticks and balls, many students dance competitively, practicing almost daily. Seniors Anna Adhikari, Jocelyn Hartman and Alyson Kren each have their own specialty dance style in which they give it their all in every routine, show and competition.

Anna Adhikari- Ballet Adhikari has spent the last four years on the Poms team, performing at halftime for a packed football stadium and at every home basketball game. Dancing in front of an audience is not new for Adhikari as she has been performing for the past 13 years for the City of Rockville Ballet.

Adhikari rehearses and practices her choreography and technique five days a week and takes master classes during the summer for other dance styles including contemporary, jazz and modern.

“Dance is a way to express myself without using words,” Adhikari said.

“When I was younger I was very shy and dance was a way for me to get out of my comfort zone.”

When she was eight years old, she met current junior Tiffany Reyes and they have since become dancemates but even more than that, sisters and each other’s biggest competitors, they both said. Reyes is her best friend and a strong influence on Adhikari because of her work ethic and knowledge of dance.

“Ever since the day I’ve met her I knew and I still know I can depend on her [Adhikari] because she’s the type of person to support you no matter what,” Reyes said. “Her hard work and her perseverance is definitely present whenever she sets foot in the studio and the theater.”

Next year Adhikari plans to major in biochemistry and minor in dance in whichever college she chooses.

She hopes to join dance companies around the campus and be in their productions and shows, she said.

Jocelyn Hartman- Contemporary From beginning dancing when she was just four years old, to performing before hundreds of people, to meeting and working with several professional dancers, senior Jocelyn Hartman has spent much of her life dancing.

Her current studio, the CityDance School & Conservatory, teaches a variety of dance styles but she mainly focuses on contemporary because of its versatility.

“Since [contemporary is] a mix of ballet and jazz, it tends to be both grounded and upheld,” Hartman said. “It’s intriguing to me because in a span one eight count you can be in the air and then on the floor doing floorwork.”

As part of the school, she takes classes for different styles of dance but as part of the conservatory program,

she takes masters classes with guest professional artists.

“Having opportunities to work with these professionals is amazing because not only do you get to learn about the different dance styles and different dance techniques, you get to also learn about their different stories and how they came to be,” Hartman said.

Through all her years in dancing, Hartman has come to love the close-knit bonds that she forms with other dancers as well as the performance aspect of dance, she said.

“For me, I think dance is like a community and like a family. I think it’s a great way to artistically express yourself [and] it’s like a second home because I’m there so much,” Hartman said.

After all of her years in dance, she will attend American University next fall majoring in international relations and minoring in dance.

Alyson Kren- Irish Dance Many people dance but few do so seriously. Then even fewer can say that they do Irish dance competitively and then only a handful can say they danced in national Irish dance competitions.

Senior Alyson Kren has attended the Hurley School of Irish Dance since its inception 13 years ago when she was five years old and since then has competed in local, regional and national competitions and even qualified for overseas competitions. The various interpretations of Irish dancing have always appealed to her.

“It’s really neat because even though everyone does Irish dancing all over the world, it’s different in different places so even though we’re doing the same things here as in California, it looks completely different because of the style and the technique that they learned,” Kren said.

Kren was scheduled to compete at the All Ireland Championships in Killarney, Ireland this past February, but was unable to due to a foot fracture which she received surgery on.

Prior to the injury, she competed at the North American National Championships July 2018 and placed 60th among the best Irish dancers in all of North America. Kren is also qualified for her second nationals competition in Canada in July, which she said she hopes to be able to dance in, depending on her injury recovery.

In the last few years Kren has been interested in pediatric nursing which she plans to pursue in college, she said. Although she is not looking to dance professionally, Kren is hoping to help at the dance school that she has been a part of for most of her life, which has shaped her work ethic on and off the dance floor.

“Throughout my entire time dancing, I have learned that in order to do well, I must work for it--success doesn’t just come naturally and without hard work,” Kren said.

Photos courtesy of Anna Adhikari, Jocelyn Hartman.

Read the full article on RockvilleRampage.com.

Looking Back: Big Moments from March Madness

By JACK HORAN Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Mario Chalmers was drafted 34th in the 2008 NBA draft after four years in the NCAA.

March Madness has grown from an annual event to a tradition that is a staple of NCAA basketball, with many of the most memorable moments in basketball history happening during the tournament.

These five March Madness moments have helped define the tournament’s legacy and highlight why March Madness is a must-watch for basketball fans this month.

Christian Laettner’s legacy was written in stone March 28, 1992 as he hit an incredible buzzer beater against the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The Duke Blue Devils won an improbable game against the Wildcats when Grant Hill threw a full court pass to Christian Laettner who hit the shot as time expired. The Blue Devils went

on to win the NCAA Tournament by narrowly beating the Michigan Wolverines who possessed the Most Outstanding Player, guard Bobby Hurley.

“Many [people] consider it the greatest tournament game ever” basketball coach Todd Dembowski said, “It is a reminder that the game is never over until it is over.”

History was also made March 16, 2018 when the 16th seed UMBC Retrievers, beat the number one seeded University of Virginia Cavaliers, marking the first time a 16th seed had ever beaten a first seed. The Cavaliers were beat in all assets of the game and couldn’t contain UMBC guard Jarius Gyles who scored 28 points off of nine for 11 shooting. UMBC shot 54 percent from the field, and out-rebounded the Cavaliers 31-21.

The NC State Wolfpack had

the most improbable win of all time April 4, 1983, beating the highly favored University of Houston Cougars 54-52. Wolfpack center Lorenzo Charles hit a put back dunk with two seconds left after he initially airballed. This was the first and only NCAA championship won by coach Jim Valvano who’s legacy still lives on through the famous Jimmy V foundation, whose mission is to cure cancer. While NC State won the game, the Most Outstanding Player was Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon who totaled 20 points and 18 rebounds.

The University of Kansas Jayhawks caused a huge upset April 7, 2008, when they beat the University of Memphis Tigers in an overtime 75-68 win. The game’s most memorable moment was when Jayhawks guard Mario Chalmers hit a game-tying three pointer with 2.1

seconds left in regulation to send the game in to overtime. The Jayhawks then outscored the Tigers 12-5 to win their third NCAA championship.

“Chalmers’ shot really solidified us [Kansas] as a threat each year after that title game,” senior Eric Hernandez said. “If he didn’t hit that shot, then we wouldn’t be looked at as a contender to win the championship every year.”

April 4, 2016 brought one of the most exciting championship games of all time along with a great finish. With six seconds left in the game, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Marcus Paige hit a three-point shot tying the score up at 74 a piece, making the game seem destined for an overtime period. But, Villanova Wildcats’ guard Ryan Arcidiacono passed to forward Kris Wilkes for a buzzer beating three, winning the Wildcats their second NCAA championship.

RAMPAGE 15

SPORTS

March 25, 2019

Students Exercise Healthy Routines, Diets

By MATTHEW LIU Opinion Managing Editor High school students have many concerns and among them is staying healthy while getting through school, yet there is a group of RHS students who are extremely health-minded, going out of their way to live healthy lives by dedicating themselves to perfecting their nutrition and fitness routines.

Seniors Ines Donfack, Christian Melgar and Kristina Barnes are among RHS’ self-described “health nuts,” who make extra efforts each and every day to live healthier lives through their unique health and fitness habits. Donfack runs a health-oriented Instagram page where she posts about her fitness routine and nutrition tips while Melgar and Barnes each have individual rigorous exercise routines that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

“I started to become a health nut gradually over the summer because I wanted to improve my physique and look better,” Donfack said. “I actually started to enjoy eating healthy foods

and working out, so that’s where my passion came from, which eventually led to me creating a health-oriented Instagram page where I post about what I eat and how I work out.”

Donfack hits the gym six times a week, varying between vigorous upper and lower-body exercises, building her endurance and strength levels in the process.

“I focus mostly on building muscle and gaining strength, so I practice calisthenics, which is bodyweight training, and other muscle-building exercises like squats, push-ups and wall-sits,” Donfack said.

Melgar also has an intense exercise routine, sticking to his dedication and passion for exercise to get him through his routine.

“I wake up at 4 a.m. every day and attend Bootcamp classes at Soldierfit gym in Rockville before school,” Melgar said. “I joined Soldierfit in June 2018. Since then, I have lost 50 pounds. I remember when I used to wake up and not want to go to school because I was too tired and too exhausted. And I knew something had to change.”

In addition to his weekday classes, Melgar also attends back-to-back Soldierfit classes on

Senior Ines Donfack started practicing better health over the summer to reach her health goals; she stays committed to her workout routine, she said.

the weekends. As of late, Melgar’s commitment to Soldierfit, among other activities, has earned him local recognition, as he was recently featured in a February issue of Bethesda Magazine in the “Top Teens” section.

Like Melgar, Barnes is another health nut who takes workout classes at a fitness studio.

Barnes takes Pure Barre classes, ballet-inspired group fitness classes that focus on completely fatiguing certain muscle groups, then stretching them to create a long, lean look.

“I do Pure Barre classes anywhere from three to six times a week, varying between a regular and a cardio-based class to get the best variety in my workout routine and the best results,” Barnes said. “I really enjoy the way I feel, both during and after Pure Barre classes. It is a very empowering and supportive atmosphere, which is why I have been doing them regularly since August.”

In addition to their workout routines, these students spoke about the importance of their diets. A healthy eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts, is low in saturated fats, trans fats, choles-

Senior Christian Melgar joined Soldierfit gym over the summer and has lost 50 pounds since because of his strenuous workouts and diet.

terol, sodium and added sugars and stays within one’s daily calorie needs, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 published by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).

“As far as nutrition goes, I make sure my meals have a balanced combination of carbs, fruits and veggies, fats and vegetables and I never eat processed foods,” Donfack said. “I’m not vegan, or ‘anti-meat,’ but I keep my meals whole and unprocessed, and everything is always all-natural.”

Both Melgar and Barnes take the time to plan their meals out ahead of time. On Sundays, Melgar plans out his meals for the upcoming week, focusing on protein and vegetable-heavy meals and cutting back on carbohydrates. Nutrition, Melgar says, is more important than exercise.

Barnes also prepares her meals ahead of time, concentrating her meals around protein, vegetables, fruit and some carbohydrates in the form of grains.

Melgar has advice for those who are struggling but want to live healthier lives.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘How bad do you want it? Yes, you will fail, but in order to see success, you must go through failures,” Melgar said.

Photos by Matthew Liu Senior Kristina Barnes does Pure Barre classes almost every day to stay in shape as it is an empowering and supportive atmosphere, she said.

Brady, Undeniably the Best

By ANNA STEWART News Managing Editor

consider Montana to be the better quarterback because he never lost a Super Bowl, while Brady has lost three.

What they forget is that Brady has played in nine With Super Bowl 53 now history, and the New Super Bowls total, five more than Montana. And England Patriots champions once again, there is one Brady has led teams with much less talent to the Sutruth that sports fans finally need to face: Tom Brady per Bowl, while Montana had star wide receiver, Jerry Rice, to rely on in all but one of his wins. is the greatest NFL quarterback of all time.

Look at Brady’s top receivers throughout the Brady just surpassed former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Charles Haley to become the only player years. Aside from Randy Moss and tight end Rob in NFL history with six rings. He has the most reg- Gronkowski, none of Brady’s top receivers have had ular season and playoff wins -- 207 and 30 -- as well exceptional talent -- Brady just makes them look as the most passing yards, regular season and playoffs good. Wes Welker, Brady’s top receiver from 2007combined, of any quarterback (81,693). He is the only 2012, averaged about 80 yards per game as a Patriot. player in NFL history with nine Super Bowl appear- He led the league in receptions in 2007, 2009 and 2011. ances and 16 division titles. And he has never had a But when he was picked up by the Denver Broncos, and played under future hall-of-fame quarterback losing season in his 18 years as an NFL quarterback.

But these records aren’t what make Brady so Peyton Manning, he only averaged 39 yards per seagreat. Brady’s greatness stems from his hatred for los- son.

Now look at Green Bay Packers quarterback, ing and willingness to do whatever it takes to avoid Aaron Rodgers. The Packers went 6–9–1 this season, the pain of a loss.

“If you win it [the Super Bowl], you’ll have some- failing to make the playoffs for the second straight thing to celebrate the rest of your life. If you don’t, it year. Many blame Rodger’s lack of post-season sucwill be some mental scar tissue that you’ll have to deal cess on his teammates. They label him as “great” simwith the rest of your life,” Brady told Boston radio pri- ply because of his regular season throwing records and history of Hail Mary completions. or to playing in Super Bowl 53.

But a quarterback is the face of a franchise, and is When he does experience a loss, Brady takes full supposed to be a leader. Many of Rodger’s ex-teamresponsibility. This i=s another aspect of his greatness: his leadership. He said in a November 2018 mates have commented on his leadership style interview with ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss that the through the years, including tight end Jermichael Finutmost priority for any leader is to care deeply about ley, who flat out said Rodgers “wasn’t put on Earth what you’re doing and the people you’re doing it with. to lead” in a November 2016 interview with Bleacher That’s why Brady, who turned 41 in August, was Report.

Like Rodgers and the Packers, the Patriots seen attempting the Kodak Bop at training camp, a didn’t have a great regular season this year. In dance move running back James White had previousfact, this year’s Patriots team was labeled one ly performed after a touchdown. That’s why every of the worst in the Brady-Belichick era. But time a new player signs, Brady is the first one to unlike the Packers, the Patriots still ended know his name and say hello. He firmly believes in the season as Super Bowl champions. the importance of forming a connecThis is why Brady is better tion with his teammates, regardless than Montana and Rodgers of age or stature.

-- and all other quarterbacks.

Brady has experienced so No matter how weak his team much success in his career, and appears to be, he never losis still hungry for more. It’s the es confidence. He continues reason why great quarterbacks to push his teammates to be like Joe Montana, Johnny Unibetter and move past a bad tas, Peyton Manning and Aaron play or missed call, focusing Rodgers should no longer be in instead on what’s directly in the discussion for greatest of all time. front of them.

Take former San Francisco 49ers quarSo, hate him all you terback, Joe Montana, for example. Monwant.

But don’t deny the tana’s career spanned 15 seasons, during truth any longer: Tom which he won four Super Bowls and Photo courtesy of Flickr Brady is the GOAT. passed for over 46,000 yards. Many

Photo by Renzo Ferruzo Students look on at players during the National Honor Society (NHS) Super Smash Bros. tournament. There was a $1 fee and the winning team received a $25 gift card prize.

NHS Ultimate Super Smash Bros. Tournament

By NATHAN PIANALTO Staff Writer National Honor Society (NHS) recently hosted a gaming tournament with the popular new game, Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. The four-day tournament was held at lunch for 40 participants with a $1 entry fee and a $25 gift card prize from March 4-7 for funding toward their club.

Following the recent success of Nintendo’s fifth edition of the video game franchise, senior Kyle Pico and the NHS Officers wanted to provide an outlet for students to compete in the growing field of eSports, while raising funds for NHS and having fun.

“Super Smash [Bros.] Ultimate is a big video game that everybody is talking about, so we saw this as an opportunity to bring everyone together,” Pico said.

Each tournament round featured one six-minute match, where each of the 20 teams had a combined six lives. Each player could choose between 74 different characters.

With a first round bye, Team C.H.E.C. MATE, consisting of sophomores Jaxon Lee and Davin Wambogo blew by the second and third rounds to reach the semifinals. They defeated team USAA in the first semifinal game, with Lee pulling off

the 1 player versus 2 player win.

As they moved to the finals, Lee and Wambogo cruised past the Gruesome Twosome, consisting of freshman Emmanuel Mijango and Nico Sanchez, defeating them 2-0 in a best of three series.

“Davin and I constantly practiced for five hours straight to prepare for this tournament,” Lee said. “It definitely paid off.”

In recent years, eSports, a form of competition using video games, has grown to a whole new level, with hundreds of professional teams competing in sold-out tournaments and amassing a large following of supporters who watch online.

Streaming platforms like Twitch recently have had success in providing viewers with live videos of these eSports tournaments, such as when the top platform for the Electronic Sports League, ESL_CSGO, brought in 587,794 concurrent viewers during a Counter-Strike tournament on March 3, 2019.

The Super Smash Bros. franchise began in 1999 on the Game Boy, and since the Nintendo Switch’s release in March 2017, fans were longing for a new edition to the game, according to a Dec 7. CNET article.

“I was very excited when the game first came out, and I haven’t stopped playing since,” Lee said. “I already have over 180 hours playing.”

16 RAMPAGE

SPORTS

March 25, 2019

Brake Breaks Competition on Field

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Freshman Sania Suchinsky is beginning the 2019 girls spring tennis season filling an important role as the top singles player on the RHS team, a position she earned before playing in her first high school match.

Suchinsky’s prominent role on the team comes from her success as a player, which has also earned her the No. 3 ranking in Maryland for the class of 2022 tennis recruits, according to the Tennis Recruiting Network. She attributes her success to her dedication to the sport and her constant drive to improve herself.

“I train at least five days a week. My schedule consists of three days a week of fitness and conditioning and one day a week of mental training,” Suchinsky said. “My practice sessions are usually three hours.”

As a player, Suchinsky sets herself apart with her competitive nature and determined mentality.

“I feel like I am willing to put in more time and work than my opponents so I can outwork them during a real match,” Suchinsky said.

For the past three years, she has played for tennis club Team DMV, but most of her competition is individual so she is looking forward to truly being part of a team with Rockville, she said.

She also wants to lead the team to victories this season and become one of the team’s main leaders. Despite being only a freshman, Suchinsky is viewed as a player who can help lead the team and build other players’ skills.

“I hope she is sort of a mentor to some of the newer players since she has so much skill and talent,” coach Robert Stohlman said. “Hopefully she can take some of the newer players under her wing and give them a lot of advice on matches and how to game prep and how to practice the right way. She should be a good a role model for everyone else on the team.”

As she enters the season, Suchinsky’s focus is on winning and making herself known around the county, she said. She has already made a name for herself on the team by earning the number one spot, but she is after more, hoping to win all of her division matches and win key matches against upperclassmen.

“My goal for this season is to hopefully win the county championship and move onto states,” Suchinksy said. “There are a lot of great players in the county and a lot of tough competition so to be able to make a big run as a freshman would mean a lot.”

Her goals for the season may be challenging, but with all of the training she did before the season and continues to do along with the full confidence of her coaches and teammates, she is prepared to tackle them.

“I believe she will win all our division matches and even the division above us,” senior teammate Briana O’Neil said. “It won’t be easy for someone in the Division l schools but I do think she is capable of winning them all.”

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With spring sports beginning amid a stubbornly long winter season of cold weather, senior varsity lacrosse captain Jonathan Brake looks to turn up the heat as he enters his fourth and final season with the RHS lacrosse program.

Brake will be in the starting lineup for his second season, and he will be building off his previous season in which he led the team with 37 total points (com- bined goals and assists) and boasted a 64 faceoff percentage.

Brake played midfielder and was the secondary faceoff man behind Alex Reynolds (‘18).

Now that Reynolds has graduated, Brake will look to fill in for the man who had over 570 career faceoff wins.

“Last year [Jonathan] had Alex Reynolds to take a majority of those faceoffs. This year I’m hoping Jonathan’s percentage stays up and he’s gonna have the bulk of the faceoffs,” head varsity lacrosse coach Jesse Rutter said. “In terms of stamina, a lot of times faceoff guys just take faceoffs and come off the field but with Jonathan, he’s a complete player so he’s not coming off the field. He’s gonna have to take the majority of the faceoffs and play almost every play.”

Last season, the team went 7-5 in the regular season before losing to Magruder High School 10-8 in the first round of the playoffs. Brake didn’t play in the game due to a hip injury, and this season he wants to help make sure they don’t end their season early.

“As a leader this season, I need to make sure everyone is working hard at practice, and

keep us on task. On the field a lot of the other guys will look to me for guidance on what to do when things aren’t going great,” Brake said.

Over his career at RHS, Brake has developed into one of the consistent shooters on the team, increasing his number of goals scored every year and scoring 22 goals last season. His teammates also have confidence in him to take the team to the next level this season.

“Jonathan is really vocal and pushes the whole team to get better, he also does a great job helping all the younger kids learn our offense,” senior midfielder Ryan Kelly said. “This season we just want to win as many games as we can and try to leave the program in as good of shape as possible, and Jonathan will help us make sure we do that.”

Off the field, Brake’s hobbies include hanging out with friends, playing video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Apex Legends, and playing football or basketball.

For college, Brake said he will choose to attend either Pennsylvania State University, University of South Carolina or Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, also known as Virginia Tech, and plans to join one of their club lacrosse teams. Brake said he was being recruited to play lacrosse at some Division 3 schools, but wants to focus on studying.

“I have super high expectations for Jonathan on the field, and especially as a leader,” Rutter said. “My one regret from last season was not making Jonathan a captain, he was one of our most vocal guys in practice and I expect a lot from him this year.” ds

By AIDAN BRAMI Print Copy Editor

Suchinsky Dominates the Court

Football Players Further Their Athletic Careers

By MATTHEW DIFONZO Sports Managing Editor For eight players at RHS, their childhood goals of playing football at the collegiate level will be fulfilled starting the fall season of 2019.

Seniors offensive lineman and defensive tackle Jaylon Harry, cornerback and wide receiver Romel Jean-Michel, running back Jaylen Lawrence, wide receiver Andrew Pace, running back and linebacker Antonio Villatoro, center and nose tackle Greg Blackwell, linebacker David Edelman and defensive end Jeffrey Gomez are all committing to continue their athletic football careers in college.

Harry has committed to Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania.

As a powerful force for the Rams on the offensive and defensive lines, Harry was voted lineman of the year by all of the 3A coaches in the county, as well as named first team defensive line by the RHS coaches.

Jean-Michel has committed to Stevenson University in Pikesville, Maryland. He was a key attribute to the Rams offense and defense and in the future plans to major in either education or business.

Villatoro looks to commit to the College of the Redwoods, a Junior Collegiate school in Eureka, California, in order to improve his skills and

talent as well as increase his chances of being looked at by bigger schools.

During this past season, Villatoro was announced as an All-County first team linebacker. He was also voted the defensive Most Valuable Player (MVP) as well as the offensive MVP for the Rams.

“I am going out to California only to get a scholarship. I see it more as a business trip,” Villatoro said. “My goal is to transfer from the College of Redwoods to a Division 1 school after one or two years.”

Lawrence also looks to commit to Stevenson University. This was Lawrence’s first year at RHS after transferring from Northwest High School (HS) last year. Lawrence’s presence was immediately felt on the team by bringing intensity on both the offensive and defensive ends of the game.

Pace looks to commit to McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. During his junior year, Pace was named All-Montgomery County Honorable Mention and during his senior year, he was crowned All-Met First Team receiver. Pace was also named the MVP by the Rams.

Gomez looks to commit to Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. He played two years on JV and two years on varsity. He has been practicing with the varsity team all four years in order to improve his game. Gomez is excited for the op-

portunity and looks to make a big difference at the collegiate level in the coming years, he said.

“Playing football in college was a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid. It’s hard to believe that it’s coming true now,” Gomez said.

Blackwell looks to commit to the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine in order to continue his career and better his education. Blackwell has bounced back from several injuries in the past and his hard work and dedication allowed him a quick recovery to get back onto the field.

He also won the Unsung Hero Award which is an award given to a member of the team whose positivity allows everybody around him to work hard and improve their playing.

Edelman plans on attending Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia. Edelman is viewed by his coaches as a hardworking and dedicated player. The coaches said they believe that he will be very successful at the next level.

The eight commits have contributed to the RHS football program as a whole for the past couple of years, helping lay the foundation of varsity football head coach Jason Lomax’s renewed program.

“These guys have stood out by helping to build the foundation for the program,” Lomax said. “They have helped us take a huge step towards where we want to go.”

Photo courtesy of Jaylon Harry

Photo courtesy Romel Jean-Michel

Photo courtesy Jaylen Lawrence

Photo courtesy Jeffrey Gomez

Seniors Jaylon Harry, Jaylen Lawrence, Romel Jean-Michel and Jeffrey Gomez have committed to play collegiate-level football, among others players. They contributed to the RHS football program throughout their high school careers and will soon continue their athletic pursuits at their respective colleges.