Thinking of You

A Spring 2022 Special Edition

T A T T L E R

Nikki Mirala Editor-in-Chief

This year has been a year full of ups and downs. While there have been

Carmen Lopez-Fernandez Editor-in-Chief

extreme highs like the return to school and all of the experiences

Karenna Barmada Editor-in-Chief

be returning to normal, it would be much easier for most people

Mimi Danzis Editor-in-Chief Kate FitzGerald Editor-in-Chief Sammy Schuchman Editor-in-Chief

S T A F F

that have come with it, there have also been extreme lows witnessed by our communities. In a time when everything seems to to shut their eyes and ignore the bad. Our community, locally and globally, has been rocked by numerous tragedies this year, and creating a space for discussion is the bare minimum. We want to use the Tattler as a vessel to connect members of our community. How can we learn? How can we get involved? These are questions we hope this edition can answer.

This edition of the Tattler will cover a wide variety of topics that cannot be ignored. We will hear from a staff member recovering from a traumatic incident. We will also hear about the

Sydney Theis Art Editor

horrific impact of the fire at the Friendly Gardens Apartments,

Jack Clauss Art Editor

revisit the events of the IB list that came out in March 2019 with

Nina Pollak Art Editor Johanna Krejza Photographer David Lopilato Sponsor

and from those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. We will B-CC alumni. These stories may be difficult to read and think about, but it is incredibly necessary to do so. When our community is hurting, it is the responsibility of all to get involved, stay informed, and help in as many ways as we can. To anyone affected by any of the recent tragedies in our community and in our world, please remember that

We Are Thinking About You. How To Help

Mr. Cunningham

The War on Ukraine

Once Upon A Prom

The Tattler will be holding a letter writing campaign for our beloved security guard, Mr. Cunningham. We urge you to write a letter thanking him for his tireless commitment to the B-CC community. The letters can be dropped off in room A308 (Mr. Lopilato’s classroom).

If you have the means to donate, Doctors without Borders, Care, Save the Children, and Razom are all groups you can donate to.

If you are sharing information on social media, use legitmate news sources.

Continue the conversation and spread awareness.

Once Upon A Prom is hosting the annual “Prom Dress Giveaway” to ease some financial stresses. Will take place on Friday, April 1 (12:00 PM- 6:00 PM ) at B-CC. Shop for prom dresses absolutely free of charge! All sizes, colors, lengths are avaliable. For questions, contact Brooke Silver and Anna Antinofi @

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Scan me!

Fire at Friendly Gardens Apartments

Our Friends Affected by the Friendly Gardens Fire

By Sammy Schuchman

“A

ir.” Elena Albiar said, when asked to summarize the 24 hours after the Friendly Gardens Apartment Fire. “It causes panic when in lack of.”

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, at around 10:30 AM 14 people were injured in an explosion and the Friendly Gardens Apartments fire in Silver Spring, Maryland. The explosion decimated large portions of the building and caused many surrounding units to be evacuated. About 100 people were displaced, many made up of affordable housing units.

Elena Albiar is a senior at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School and a resident of the apartment next door to Friendly. Fortunately, Elena and her family live in a part of the complex that was unaffected by the fires. Nonetheless, the last few days have been extremely difficult for Elena’s loved ones.

She first learned about the accident through her older sister, who was home at the time. “My sister thought it was construction. There was a big bang, and after that, she looked out the window.

The dog wouldn’t stop barking and the tree was on fire.”

Elena recalled the distress in her sister’s voice during their facetime as she described the screaming amidst the chaos.

“After that it was kind of just a shock. I’m in the area 24/7 I can’t look out my window because of all

of the destruction there. We couldn’t drive into the area.

We couldn’t be at our apartment. A lot of people had to go to the Rec center, including a few people I’m close to,” Elena remembered.

One theme that Elena continued to build on was the necessity of the humanization of the accident. She talked about how the entirety of the event is “Way too complex for me to understand. How do you even understand something like that if you’re seeing your whole life burn down?” “I’ve lived here all of my life. This is home for me and witnessing all of this is really painful.”

Again, many of those who were displaced and lost their homes were living in affordable housing units. Elena highlighted the difficulty of responding to such a traumatic event. “These people can’t house clothing or other things that they need, and we can’t just go to hotels in the meantime because financially we can’t do that.”

“It’s not just an incident.”

Elena made sure to emphasize that these people affected are real, with real families. A significant amount of B-CC students were among those who lost their homes.

It is imperative that the community stands by our friends and their families as they undergo these challenging times. Elena has heard individuals undermine the incident because of the location

at which it occurred. “I was talking with a teacher about the incident and a student said to the teacher, ‘well I mean it is Silver Spring.’”

This reaction shocked Elena.

“My face dropped wondering why there was any significance in the name of a city as if it isn’t less than 5 miles away from where we are in Bethesda?” She continued, “Another teacher I’m close to actually said the same thing happened in her classroom when people were finding out about the explosion on Thursday. It saddens me you know, at what point do you put aside ignorance to acknowledge someone who’s a part of your community that is in need.”

Elena wanted to make it clear that while she was fortunate enough not to lose her home, she feels a responsibility to stand up for those most vulnerable. “A lot of people don’t want to speak. I’m processing it as a bystander, but I can be a person that helps these people and is there for them.”

Empathy. Elena sets a tremendous example of what empathy looks like. What trying to imagine what others may be going through looks like. Others can do the same by donating to the Making Home Possible initiative set up by MCPS, or just letting your peers know that you’re there for them.

bethesdaonceuponaprom@gmail.com

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Looking After Each Other

By Gabe Gebrekristose and Elyas Laubach

“H

e was really emotional pulling up,” said Clemon Cunningham of her husband James as the two slowly made their way to the EastWest Highway steps for a photoshoot.

“He loves B-CC and misses coming to this place so much.”

We, like so many in our community, pored over the disturbing details in the February 17th WJLA story, “Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS student punches, stomps, spits on school security guard, cops say.”

The title doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Yet, we quickly found ourselves wondering where we were when the attack happened (reportedly at 1:07 PM on Thursday, February 3rd).

That being said, we were determined that this story not be a rehash of the sensational aspects of the news articles.

Instead, in the spirit of this magazine, we set out to help our community better know the person often simply referred to as “security team member” in media accounts.

In short, we wanted people to get to know the real James Cunningham.

Frankly, in full disclosure, we didn’t know what to expect.

If Cunningham was a bitter man full of grievances, one could hardly blame him. What we found instead was a person with a fascinating life story to tell- a person who, in spite of being victimized by the unimaginable irresponsibility of a stranger, is full of grace.

Turns out, Cunningham’s character in the face of adversity is matched by that of his wife Clemon. Like her husband, Clemon was victimized by the unimaginable irresponsibility of a stranger. And, like James, she is all grace.

James dedicated the majority of 2021 to helping Clemon on the road to recovery. Now Clemon is doing the same for James.

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Pictured: Mr. James Cunningham and his wife Mrs. Clemon Cunningham

Clemon Cunningham Clemon Cunningham has been married to James for 26 years, and worked at the Department of Energy for 25.

Together they raised their son who

is currently a pre-med student at the University of Mississippi. Clemon has been an avid exerciser for as long as she can remember. In fact, she credits Zumba for saving her life. In January of 2021, she was hit head-on by a drunk driver in Howard County, resulting in life-threatening injuries, 5 pints of blood lost, and her being airlifted to a nearby hospital. The Cunningham family had to endure more in a two month span, January 2021 through February 2021, than any family should have to go through in a lifetime.

Clemon was in a medically induced coma for a month, and during that time had 301 stitches, 17 surgeries, and a complete replacement of the bones in both of her legs. Thankfully, and almost miraculously, she is now making progress on the road to recovery, slowly walking up and down stairs. 14 months on, Clemon is in great shape again and is hoping to soon return to her job at the US Department of Energy.

James Cunningham Whether he is on or off duty, James Cunningham is always dedicated to the BCC community. He has had perfect attendance since his arrival in 2016, and has gone above and beyond to attend our sports games even when he isn’t assigned to be there, choosing to support our athletes instead of engaging in some of his favorite pastimes, such as golf. Mr.Cunningham describes his connection to the community by saying “I enjoy being at BCC . . . I’m always there, because when you love something, you like being around it”.

Cunningham also brings this same dedication and tireless attitude to his work for the Justice Department and in the security industry. James has worked protective detail for Congressman Adam Schiff, and his team even had connections to the secret service.

James was by his wife’s side throughout the aftermath of the accident. He did everything imaginable for her: cooking, washing, cleaning, etc. Along with the help of James' four sisters, who are all nurses, his son, who is in

medical school, and the BCC administration, the Cunninghams say they are blessed to have had such a supportive community while going through this unforeseen and extremely challenging time in their lives.

Tragically, Clemon has now had to take care of James. He was recently assaulted by a student, and sustained injuries to his head, left eye, right ankle, and left knee; these injuries have kept him out of work. Although he had been in gun fights before during his career, this attack was particularly traumatic, because he “was completely blindsided.” And yet, he still loves the school so much that he wants to return to work, something that is far from a given, and truly demonstrates the love and commitment he has to this community.

Faith has been a huge part in the couple’s journey over the past year; they have leaned heavily on their religion, knowing that God does not give people challenges they are not capable of overcoming. “We're just going to go right through this. . . Things are going to happen in life and we will get through it” states James, highlighting how strong the couple’s spirits have remained despite the events of the last 14 months.

These two individuals, Clemon and James Cunningham, have gone through the unthinkable, and yet they are able to look back with a certain calmness and incredible grace, an optimism for the future that is truly extraordinary. It is a lesson in how to handle adversity, and a testament that tough times don’t last, but tough people do. The experiences of Mr. Cunningham should also serve as a reminder to all of us in the BCC community to be grateful for the little things. We should spare a kind word, hold the door for someone, wish a staff member a good day, think of others and not just ourselves, because we never know what someone may be going through.

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The IB List

By Kate FitzGerald

Three Years Later

How do you define yourself?

What are your interests? What type of music do you like? Do you think someone can tell all of those qualities just by looking at you? Imagine this, all of what makes you unique is reduced to a number, a number based on your physical appearance.

How does it feel to have your selfworth dictated by someone else?

In March 2019, it came out that a boy in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at B-CC created a list that ranked 18 girls also in the IB program, giving them numbers based on their appearances. For over a year The List had been circulated between numerous boys in the IB Program, being added to and edited.

Once it was discovered, news of it spread throughout the program and then to the rest of the school.

The girls whose names appeared on the list, along with other senior girls, went to administration

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to express their disappointment at this blatant sexual harassment.

Yasmin Bebehani, one of the girls on The List, said that when they initially went to administration the girls said they wanted to deal with it behind closed doors. However, when administration dealt with the boy who created The List, no punishment was given..

The girls were very disappointed with the administration's initial inaction. Bebehani commented that “by hiding the issue you are only perpetuating the problem.

You are overlooking all of the other issues of misogyny that happen in high school. Schools are supposed to be places of growth and exploration, but also places where you learn from others.”

The girls wanted to have their voices heard, and they wanted others to understand why The List was wrong, but they also wanted to take steps towards change at B-CC.

At B-CC, there was another list that ranked girls during the 2015-2016 school year. Annabelle Kim, one of the girls who was also on the IB list, said “I was on the rowing team at B-CC and a similar list was created my freshman year by freshman boys on the rowing team. Nothing was done about it and I didn’t even think to speak up because I felt like it was just treated as normal and something that you don't usually talk about or stand up for yourself about.”

The girls on The List decided to take action.There were seven girls who were interviewed by local and national news stations and newspapers about their experiences. Lee Schwartz said “I think that our situation wasn’t necessarily unique, it was that because of these previous infringements we were tired and wanted to say something.

It wasn’t a singular offense, it was the culmination of the culture.”

*photo courtesy of Washingtonian Magazine

The girls who were ranked on the IB List weren’t really surprised at its creation. Sage Spalter, another senior girl on the list, initially said “it was something that felt very juvenile.

That these were adult men continuing to perpetuate patriarchal norms, was surprising.” She went on to say, “upon further reflection, maybe it shouldn’t have been.”

Gabs Capizzi, who was not on the IB List but was in the IB Program and was a member of SGA, said that she was surprised at “how many people knew about it and didn’t shut it down.” Capizzi went on to say “people should not just feel like they are innocent bystanders, and that they don’t have an obligation to their friends to speak up.”

Part of the issue with the IB List, besides its creation, was the fact that most of the guys did not see it as wrong. Kim described when she first discovered The List. She was with two guys, both of whom she considered friends at the time, and she noticed they were both laughing at a document on their computer. She said “It made me feel super anxious and super sick just knowing that they had been looking at me like that and that they were brushing it off like ‘oh that’s not that bad,’ or ‘that this is honestly kind of funny,’ or ‘why are

you so upset?’ They were not acknowledging how serious it was and how stressful it was for the girls.”

The girls in IB went back to administration to reiterate how disappointed they were with the lack of retribution for the boy who created the list, and express their concerns about the unsafe environment at B-CC. A meeting with nearly all IB students took place, where the girls who were ranked were able to express their feelings, and others were given the opportunity to share their experiences with misogyny. Schwartz said “the discussion got to a point where it wasn’t just about the list, it was about people having a chance to come forward about previous experiences that they had never gotten the chance to communicate.” The male student who created the list also read an apology to all of the girls.

More meetings took place with senior girls and boys to come up with ideas of how to prevent future incidents from happening, and how they could leave an impact on their younger classmates.

Presentations were given in underclassmen classes on toxic masculinity, discussing how it enables misogyny and is harmful to both boys and girls. The intention of the pre-

sentations was to inform the younger classes about the culture that gives boys the permission to create lists like the one created in 2019, and to make it clear that The List was not acceptable and it is not ok to see girls as just a number. But how effective were these presentations, and has there been a shift in the culture at B-CC? It’s tough to make a dramatic change in just three years, but The List started a conversation about misogyny and objectification of girls in school.

Despite how unfortunate The List was, it gave the senior girls in 2019 a platform to speak about their experiences, and it brought greater attention to the misogyny that is ingrained into our society and how it takes form in schools.

Even though the class of 2022 is the only grade that was at B-CC when The List came out, it is well known to younger students throughout the area. Spalter said “Having heard that there are people five, six years younger still talking about the list makes me feel like there was definitely an impact and that conversations are being started about it. Which I think, no matter what, for the most part, is a step in the right direction.”

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The Power of Lies

By Hannah Pomeranzeva

T

he February air was cold and the clouds outside the window gray and miserable, a sign of the bleak weeks to come. I found myself sitting on the couch, phone in hand, listening to my relatives on the other end of the line, dictate word for word summaries from tightly controlled Russian government news channels, about how “America is humiliating Russia, stopping us from rising from our knees” and how “the misbehaviour of those neo-Nazis in Ukraine caused our country to step in.” There’s no use trying to argue with them. My patriotic relatives might be too old – or simply just too stubborn – to convince, that the television he religiously watches every night at 7pm is lying to them. Like most older people in Russia, who have witnessed the cold war, fall of the Soviet Union and with it, the economic collapse, they yearn for a strong leader. The government used this need for “strength” to slowly but surely shut down all independent media outlets that oppose the programmed ideology that repeats from dusk till dawn on Russian t.v : that the west is oppressive and dismissive, and Putin wants to level the playing field.

Powerlessness is a term that goes hand in hand with oppression. Russian citizens understand that Putin, his cronies, and the corrupt regime that has been in power for over 20 years, is not the fairest, or doesn’t have its flaws. But they choose to look past it all and instead focus on the strong image of their

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country. Turning a blind eye on its wrong doings.

People love to pretend to be the victim, believe that they’re not in the wrong, and to have a grudge against the world, in order to avoid the feeling of guilt. When the tanks rolled into Ukraine on a “special operation”, President Putin announced how their presence in the former Soviet country was a security necessity for the Russian people. As if the big, mighty Russia was somehow threatened by tiny ukraine.

Spoon-feeding his citizens false information.

My relatives and those like them were not shown the Ukrainian parents, weeping for their dead children, or the woman wishing it was her lying dead in that bombed basement instead of her loved ones.

Like a dysfunctional mother, a control freak with a victim complex, who can’t seem to let go of her children, Russia once again inserts itself into ex-Soviet nations. Just like they did to Georgia in 2008, the takeover of Belarus, the troops in Moldova, and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Russian government is once again pushing for control as if they have a right to do so, stating how Ukraine does not exist as a nation.

A world away from Russia, you too might have dealt with grandparents, completely convinced of a disturbing alternative reality.

Like me, you’ve probably realized that shoving

facts down their throat backfires: the more you

push, the more resistance you will receive.

A person’s worldview is tied to their identity, causing them to close up in situations where their perception of themselves is threatened.

Many psychological studies have proven that in order to de-radicalize someone from a cult or extremist ideology, one must listen.

Patiently hear what they have to say, and ask why they think this. Wait for a moment in the conversation where they trip up on their own words and begin to doubt themselves. Not only will they understand how their reasoning does not fully make sense, but will also be frustrated enough in being wrong, to dig deeper into the subject.

It’s a move Ukraine feared for weeks.

Hours before the invasion began, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to his people, preparing them for the nightmare that would come. “Our main goal is peace in Ukraine and the safety of our people, Ukranians,” he said “nobody will have guarantees of security anymore”.

That nightmare is now in full force. On the sidelines, we watch millions of Ukranians pour into neighboring countries. Women and children are fleeing for safety as the men stay back, taking up arms to defend their home. It seems that there is little that we, as high school students, can do to help. But it’s the little things that matter. Simply turning up to a rally lets Ukrainians know that they are not alone during this difficult time.

Food, medical care and other supplies inside Ukraine are becoming increasingly scarce, so charity organizations are offering a wide range of support.

Support groups by donating. Journalists are risking their safety to promote what Russia is trying to supress: Ukrainian democracy and freedom of speech. Supporting The Kyiv Independent and Keep Ukraine’s Media Going - both Ukrainian based media outlets, will help bring the world the facts about the invasion. *Photos by Johanna Krejza