Inside This Edition... New Texas Abortion Law Strikes Up Old Divides B-CC Community Steps Up to Help Afghan Refugees in Need Brandy Melville’s “One Size Fits Small” Policy Comes from The Top: Time for a “Girlcott” B-CC Football: The Barons Are Back!!
Seniors Sound Off If You Don’t Like the MCPS Quarantine Policy, Just Wait a Week By: Cora Hafer and Hannah Troubh Why are winter and spring athletes required to show proof of vaccinations but fall athletes were not? Why were 1,682 MCPS students put into quarantine in the first week of school in a county with a 62.9% vaccination rate of eligible residents? Why are 25 students allowed to cram into a corner of the F-wing for a loud, fun-filled, mask-less lunch yet B-CC was not allowed to have an indoor Homecoming dance? The answers can be found in MCPS’s ever-shifting policy. Between August 13th and September 15th, MCPS unveiled, revamped, walked back and passed off their official strategy for mitigating the spread of COVID.
F
AVORITE THINGS ABOUT BEING BACK
“Being able to go to open lunch and hanging out with friends” “Getting back into a routine” “Open lunch” “Meeting new people” “Seeing my friends in person and the teachers and everyone together” “Being able to have a senior year” “It’s easier to participate and you get to be in person with your teachers because I think it builds a better connection” “Seeing all those people you know and like talking to but don’t hangout with outside of school”
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EAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING BACK
“Walking up the stairs to the 4th floor” “Waking up and staying awake” “The school work” “Going from A300 to F0” “Waking up early and having to park in front of everyone” “Getting called on at random in class” “All the pressure for grades and all the stress” “Having to wake up really early” “No more Wednesdays off” “my sleep schedule is messed up”
story cont. on P2
B-CC by the Numbers By: Hannah Gandal
2,293- students at B-CC: 690- Chromebooks distributed this year: Don’t ask- books not returned last year (just look under your bed and return yours- please!!): 602- families served by B-CC Cares food distribution during the pandemic: 133- average daily number of students served in the cafeteria pre-pandemic: 300- average daily number of students served in the cafeteria in the first week of this year: 17-new teachers at B-CC: 17- Social Studies teachers who have been at B-CC for more than 5 years: 0- members of the Admin Team who has been at B-CC for more than 5 years: 75- available student parking passes: 36- parking spaces for students with internships: 1Covid-19 notification letters sent home from Whitman: 6- Covid-19 notification letters sent home from B-CC
Here are the highlights from what we are calling MCPS’s COVID Playbook: August 13: The Razzle Dazzle Stay with us on this one... MCPS declared that if there is a positive case in a elementary school, those in close contact will go into quarantine...with “close contact” being defined as being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes. Even though, the CDC said students who were in a classroom with someone who tested positive and were more than 3 feet apart do not necessarily need to quarantine if everyone involved was wearing masks...where they will receive live virtual instruction provided by a teacher...but likely not their “normal” classroom teacher...“separate from what’s happening in the physical school,” ...whew. Result: This first strategy was promptly criticized for being vague and confusing. Sept 3: The Shutdown Defensive MCPS opts for a more aggressive quarantine guidelines for unvaccinated students. According to this new strategy, any
Q&A
Working at at elementary school under shifting quarantine policies To find out what it has been like for elementary school staff and students during these policy shifts, we spoke to an MCPS elementary school staff member at a school directly impacted by COVID and MCPS’s changing policy. She shared with us on condition we leave her name and the name of her school out of the story. How many students/classes have been quarantined? Two classes quarantined due to direct exposure to a positive case. We had a number of students start the year on quarantine before even coming to school. We have added around five more on individual quarantine.
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News unvaccinated student exposed to another student that has even just one symptom of Covid-19 must quarantine for ten days. Students may return to school once the symptomatic student either returns a negative test or is given a different diagnosis. This protocol sent entire classes of elementary students home and streams of critics to social media. For many students, staff, and parents alike, this action raises more questions than answers. What counts as a symptom? Are they taking into account who the student’s friends are and who they spent time with outside of class? Is there a chance of students hiding symptoms or lying about being vaccinated in order to stay in school? Result: This second strategy was criticized for overreaching CDC guidelines, being unsustainable and creating anxiety for everyone involved. September 14th: The Reverse MCPS reversed the Sept 3 policy. MCPS now requires quarantine only for unvaccinated students who came in close contact with student who tested positive. To accommodate this shift, MCPS
How have the different policies impacted your school? The whole classes were quarantined due to exposure to a positive student. Those were before the new [September 3] rules. We have not yet had to quarantine a whole class due to symptoms only. I have a friend whose daughter’s class was quarantined on Friday [September 3rd] for a child with symptoms and then again on the following Wednesday for another kid with symptoms. How is learning different for quarantine students? The students in quarantine are learning virtually. If a whole class quarantines they are taught by their teacher. If it is an individual situation, they are taught by a rotating group of non-classroom-based staff.
decided to rely on rapid-result tests for students who exhibit possible symptoms in an effort to avoid “excessive” quarantines. This reversal raised its own set of questions. Is rapid-results testing reliable? Can’t a false negative from a rapid-result cause an outbreak? Result: At least one account of a symptomatic elementary school student who got back a negative rapid-results, and returned to school, to find out he had COVID. The student’s class is currently in 10 days of quarantine. Sept 15: Bring on the Specials Team Unit Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight announced her plans to hire a senior administrator as a health liaison to oversee all future COVID mitigation strategies. This new hire will be part of a five phase plan that also includes: 2)Create a COVID-19 Operations Advisory Committee 3) Create a COVID-19 dashboard 4)Launch an outreach campaign to get more students to opt-in to COVID-19 testing in schools and 5) Provide other support to help schools with their mitigation efforts Result: Wait & See.
How are students/families reacting to having to go back into quarantine? The families for the most part have been very supportive. They understand this is a part of sending the kids back to school this year. How has the situation affected morale (for staff/students)? This year has been a few weeks and feels like 100 years. Every day brings new challenges for sure, but the kids are also SO happy to be back in school. Graphic by Jack Clauss
continued from P1
New Texas Abortion Law Strikes Up Old Divides
By: Grayson O’Marra, Lily Capizzi and Olivia Bresnicky On September 1st, a new law (SB8) went into effect in Texas that bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. According to the new law, abortions are banned once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is well before many women even know they are pregnant. The law allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone else who aids or abets in an abortion after a physician detects a fetal heartbeat. The law has no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Texas lawmakers passed SB8 by going around this law, making it enforceable by the citizens, not the state. This affirms that those who break the law are subject to civil penalties, not criminal. Earlier this month, The Supreme Court did not take action to block SB8, making many wonder if the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision that affirmed a woman’s right to an abortion before fetal viability might be in jeopardy of being overturned. We spoke to three women with
very different views on the new law. Given the contentious nature of this topic, we are not using names. High School Student, Maryland “For decades, men have been at the forefront of decisions concerning women’s bodies. For laws like this to still be passed in 2021, something needs to change. We have to start by listening to people with uteruses and being inclusive in our language.” College Student, Texas “The Texas abortion law is a great success for not only the Pro-life movement, but also human rights in general. As science supports that life begins in the womb, it is that child’s right to live. However, our work is not done with this immense victory. The pro-life movement cannot merely be concerned with making abortion illegal, but also must aid to provide those mothers every bit of support they might need to carry their child to term.“
University Professor, Texas “[The way The Texas legislature conducts its business] is a recipe for very bad legislation, as the bills are often poorly debated, amended at the last minute etc. This abortion law has a provision that incentivizes anyone to report on anybody else loosely associated with an abortion. A person found guilty of being associated with an abortion (say a taxi driver) will be fined $10,000. By contrast, someone who brings a lawsuit against someone they accuse of being associated with an abortion will pay no penalty if the lawsuit proves to be unfounded or frivolous. This incentivized vigilantism, or even just going after neighbors you don’t like. To me it’s reminiscent of the way communist regimes incentivize people to “inform” on their neighbors, which was really a way to allow people to intimidate others they didn’t like, by going after them with unfounded accusations to the authorities.”
SMOB O’Looney Sets Out to Tackle a Variety of Equity Issues By: Nikki Mirala
Richard Montgomery junior Hana O’Looney was elected as Montgomery County Public School’s 44th Student Member of the Board (SMOB). A highly qualified SMOB, Hana was already quite familiar with the Montgomery County community. Working in positions such as pres-
ident of the Montgomery County Junior Council and vice president of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association, Hana has been involved in the fight for education equity for quite some time. She has also given numerous testimonies at MCPS Board of Education meetings on various topics such as menstrual equity—an issue she hopes to focus on come next school year. This year, Hana pledges to tackle a wide variety of issues. First off, student welfare: she wants to cover a wide range of topics affecting students daily, such as racial justice, sexual assault, school lunches, mental health, student disabilities, LGBTQ+ equity, and more. The goal is to make a “structural change in MCPS’s student input system.” In terms of the opportunity gap,
which is what got her interested in educational equity and advocacy, Hana wants to make materials and experiences accessible across numerous demographics. She wants to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity for an exceptional education, including equitable preparation for college and careers, resources, or student opportunities. After MCPS’s reopening, Hana believes that schools should “monitor students’ wellbeing, including both physical and mental health,” and later follow up by curating individualized plans based on students. Furthermore, Hana wants to work to provide families and students with essential services such as meals and healthcare at no additional cost. She looks forward to enacting her “vision for a more equitable school system” in the 20212022 school year.
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Opinion Humanity Over Rivalry: We Must Extend an Oar to Whitman Crew By: Maya Cynkin The Whitman crew team deferred its fall season as a result of the arrest of Kirkland Shipley, who had coached the team since 2002 and had been a teacher at Whitman since 2001. He was charged with first and second degree child sexual abuse of female students, which was said to have taken place in 2013 and 2018. In July 2018, the board was informed of the situation by a parent and alerted MCPS and SafeSport, however nothing was ever reported back to them. When asking Engler about our team’s role and how we’re supporting Whitman, he mentioned that the river flooded several days ago, and so he had to ask the boys to come down to the boathouse and move the motor boats. “Another kid slipped in the group, and he was helping us pick up heavy stuff so I didn’t really mind. So then we met and were going through housekeeping, and because our freshman coach left, the boys asked who’s going to coach the freshman this year. We hired the Whitman freshman coach who’s really good, and so I was pretty excited to get him.
And the boy that I didn’t recognize raised his hand and he’s like, ‘Hi, I’m a member of the Whitman crew. Would we be able to row with you guys?’ And it was heartbreaking, because if the boy wants to row he should be able to row; he should have a place to row.” There was some discussion about B-CC having Whitman rowers join our program. Engler said that he was “amenable to finding them a way to row together under our umbrella,” but the issue is that we don’t have enough resources. “Kids should be able to row if they want to row.” B-CC and Whitman have had a huge rivalry. So one of the big questions is if we should forget about the rivalry and support their team. I think the answer is one hundred percent yes. Sarah Baule, a captain of the girls team, said, “I think for the time being we should put the rivalry aside… despite [it], they are still high school rowers that would be losing their season otherwise.” A captain of the boys team, Tibor Teleki, said, “Aidan (co-captain) and I have made it clear that it is time to leave
the rivalry aside. The team suspending their fall is not a victory. Of course we want to beat Whitman but we want to do it under fair terms and them losing a season doesn’t seem fair to us.” Engler’s standpoint is that “we all row on the same water. We all row out of the same boathouse. We all coach the same set of kids. Why is there such a rivalry between Whitman and B-CC? Well they’re the same kids. I mean there’s no real difference between our two schools. We’ve sold boats to them, we’ve lent launches to them. Rivalries are fine; bad blood is not.” Many Whitman rowers are now part of the Thompson Boat Center (TBC) team, and so at least they still have the opportunity to get out on the water. It’s very unfortunate that they don’t get to row for their school currently, and that this upcoming year is unpredictable for them. B-CC crew will make sure to provide support whenever it’s needed, because at the end of the day, all crew teams have the same goal and care for one another. Graphic by Nina Pollak
Yes, a Mask Mandate is Still Necessary By: Nathaniel Schrader
Mask mandates in schools are necessary to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks and to curb the growth of the virus. Multiple studies have shown that when talking, humans generate liquid droplets. They are easily contained; even a simple washcloth can stop their transmission. Additionally, studies show that people who had influenza or the common cold and wore a surgical mask had the amount of respiratory viruses emitted
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in droplets and aerosols significantly reduced. Furthermore, Real World Epidemiology, a study published by Health Affairs, compared the growth of COVID in 15 states and DC with mask mandates compared to without. It showed that the daily growth rate of the virus slowed down almost 5 percentage points after 3 weeks with the mandates. It is pretty clear that mask mandates in schools should be in effect to protect not only others but yourself. These are pretty basic facts, and I’m sure the majority who are reading this article know them already. We have seen Montgomery County put mask mandates in effect for schools, and multiple states including Maryland, California and Virginia have done the same. However, students do not have to wear masks at football games and sporting events, and during lunch it’s
not mandatory to wear it inside. What reasons does Montgomery County have to enforce a strict mask mandate during school hours and then drop it when we are at packed football games, which in some respects are more dangerous than school itself? It’s these contradictions to the mandate, that delegitimize it. Students deserve to know why MoCo is willing to take these risks during football games. Another fault with MoCo’s mask policy is that it has no longevity; it’s clear that the mandate is not meant to be a long term plan. If MCPS fails to assert that masks are a long-term solution there will be drastic consequences when nobody wears them in 5 months. Mask mandates are crucial for the health and safety of every B-CC student, and we should try our hardest to keep them in effect. Graphic by Jack Clauss
Opinion
Spirit and Inclusion: Both Are Possible Walking into Bethesda Chevy Chase High School on August 31st, 2021, it was impossible to miss the sea of teens taking pictures, all dressed in matching pink and white crop tops. Together, they carried on the tradition of senior shirts to commemorate the first day of their last year at B-CC. After a year and a half of the separation of the pandemic, seeing happiness and unity was much needed. However, as the day continued on, it became apparent that most students of color were not included in the festivities. This article aims to answer the question, why were students from minority communities excluded from an event aimed at promoting class unity? Teresa Montoya, a Latina senior at B-CC who feels as though she was not given the opportunity to participate in the senior shirt tradition described her sentiments walking in on the first day of school. “I remembered being a freshman, seeing all the senior girls taking photos, it was really cute. Ironically, for me, this year it represented the exact opposite. It was a perfect display of how divid-
ed B-CC is.” Unfortunately, the exclusion of minorities in B-CC tradition is not a one-time occurrence, it has been a recurring theme at our school for generations, and has had a much larger effect on students than just not receiving a shirt. Teresa described the effects that B-CC’s exclusionary culture has had on her “You don’t feel welcomed in your own school. I’m mad on behalf of other students, we don’t feel represented at B-CC and when we see the division represented by these little actions and these symbols, it’s very tiring.” Olivia Bresnicky, a senior at B-CC involved in the organization of the shirts described their attempts to reach students, “We posted on our social media, had our friends post on social media, and posted on the Facebook group. We even ordered extras with our own money.” Attempts were made to reach all students in the B-CC community, yet the tradition of exclusion seemed to continue on. Bresnicky describes her initial desires for the senior shirt tradition, “We did everything we could to let this tradition live on and muster as much participation as possible.” The people
who distributed the shirts clearly did not mean for this to happen. They made a true attempt to ensure shirts were distributed. However, the senior shirts do highlight the significant separation along racial lines that is present at B-CC. This is not an anomaly and this is not the first time we have seen something like this. Looking into IB and AP classrooms, athletic teams, lunch tables, friend groups, and almost any social space at B-CC, the de-facto segregation is apparent. For a school that’s racial demographics are growing more and more reflective of America’s population, segregation cannot continue, and diversity must be celebrated. As Abraham Lincoln famously said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” B-CC cannot continue to house two separate and oppositional student populations. In order to show true school spirit, students from all walks of life must come together and create new, more inclusive traditions.
Brandy Melville’s “One Size Fits Small” Policy Comes from The Top: Time for a “Girlcott” By: Katherine Jones and Olivia Bresnicky
Brandy Melville, a well-known clothing brand amongst teenagers and young adults. More well known for their size exclusivity and their motto “one size fits most”. Girls and women around the world have seen their style and clothes evolve from simplistic rainbow designs on shirts to Contempo Casuals of this day and age: crop tops, mini skirts, jeans that all come along with their less than a progressive slogan. Sadly, throughout this evolution, the only girls able to wear the clothes are ones that fit a size small. From an early age, young girls have been sanctioned to Brandy’s standards. Now more recently, we see an expose on Brandy’s executives and their business tactics, something we can’t say we didn’t see coming. We owe this to former senior vice president, Luca Rotondo. He claims that if CEO, Stephan Marsan thinks a store has too many black employees working he replaces them with white ones. “If she was black if she was fat...he didn’t
want them in the store.” Rotondo tells Business Insider in an interview. In this article done by Insider, we see leaked screenshots of an executive group chat saying the n-word and making antisemitic jokes such as photo-shopping Hitler. Top executives, in many cases, appeared to be leading the charge when it came to sharing antisemitic content. A selfie taken by Adriano de Petris, the chief technology officer, showed Roberto Tatti, Marsan’s brother-in-law and a Brandy Melville supplier, alongside another man performing a Nazi salute. Marsan sent a picture in which he folded a shirt to obscure certain letters, spelling out “Hitler.” Another screenshot showed an edited image of Marsan as Hitler, which Sorgi said Marsan himself created. As someone who’s worn Brandy and doing so contributed to their effect on this generation it’s hard to say what’s to do next. One BCC student says, “I would stop wearing Brandy because I don’t support their
ideals... but.. who’s going to know if it’s just a plain shirt with no indication or branding towards their brand?” This confusion and the blurred line is where many people face conflict in how they handle a situation like this. I asked students what the next step is, they responded with “I’m not wearing Brandy until they apologize and come forward about what they’ve done.” Multiple students in different grades at BCC said they’d take this same measure. Is this the next step always when something is “canceled”? Will there be fewer sightings of Brandy Melville styles in the hallways? Will the Brandy Melville store in Georgetown, where most girls shop for clothes, lose business? Only time will tell if cancel culture will take out Brandy Melville.
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Graphic by Nina Pollak
By: Aaron Tiao and Neha Kohli
Opinion
B-CC Looks a Lot Like the U.S. Let’s Show the Country What Social Justice Looks Like By: Sammy Schuchman and Karenna Barmada
B-CC’s population for 2019 is uncannily similar to that of the 2021 US Census. With less than a 3% difference for each data point in the population distribution by race, B-CC has a real opportunity to analyze how our community is divided. Even though our hallways are as diverse as the country as a whole, racial and ethnic minority students are disproportionately left out of advanced classes, school clubs, and organizations. Throughout American history access to education has shaped the inequities of political and economic opportunity. Although in the last century the country has made strides to level the playing field, vast disparities in the classroom still remain intact furthering an all too familiar cycle. Unfortunately B-CC is no exception to this reality. A relevant #406 report detailing B-CC class demographics found that an overwhelming 98.4% of white students had enrolled in Honors/AP math courses in their undertaking of Algebra and Geometry classes. Concurrently
only 83.4% of African American students shared the same access to rigorous math classes. In the same report it was determined that while 95.9% of white students completed Geometry their sophomore year, only 66.6% of African Americans and 64.1% of Hispanics did the same. While these differences may appear minute or less extreme than in years past, this indicative and disproportionate trend even in one of the most progressive areas in the country is no different from the underlying trends caused by inequalities that have plagued this country for decades. While B-CC has been given a unique opportunity to discuss the disparities present in our own community, these problems are seen throughout the United States. The International Baccalaureate program is one that prides itself on “inter-cultural understandings,” but In Title 1 IB schools across the country only 21% of IB exam takers are Hispanic, and only 13% are African-American. In non-title 1 schools these numbers
are even more discouraging. The extraordinary parallels between the demographics of the nation and B-CC serve as a wake-up call to students and teachers alike that many of the problems and challenges facing the nation are extremely pertinent to the school. It is of the utmost importance that a feeling of complacency does not begin to grow in the wake of such tremendous societal progress as still there is more work to be done. Starting with the Tattler, B-CC has the opportunity to set a glowing example to the rest of the nation. One area where it is imperative that the Tattler improves is the inclusion of the opinions and collaboration of students of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Tattler must grow and evolve with the country in order to truly capture the voice of its student body in the same manner that the rest of the school must not let up in its pursuit of equality of opportunity for all.
Demographics: USA & B-CC NATIONAL NUMBER AND % ACCORDING TO U.S. CENSUS 2020
B-CC % ACCORDING TO MCPS
PACIFIC ISLANDER
622,000 people (0.2%)
<5%
OTHER (RACES)
1,690,000 people (0.5%)
<5%
AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE TWO OR MORE RACES
2,252,000 people (0.7%)
<5%
13,549,000 people (4.1%)
5.7 %
ASIAN
19,619,000 people (5.9%)
6.1%
BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISPANIC OR LATINO
39,940,000 people (12.1%)
14.7%
62,080,000 people (18.7%)
17.6%
191,698,000 people (57.8%)
55.6%
NON-HISPANIC WHITE
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Style
Style Editors: TV Show That Got Them Through the Pandemic Ted Lasso By: Olivia Romano I started watching Ted Lasso a few months ago, and since then it has become one of my favorite shows. Currently, on its second season, Ted Lasso, a comedy show, releases new episodes every Friday on Apple TV. This show is built around the character Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis. He travels to England to coach a soccer team, having no prior experience as a soccer coach. Lasso’s constant optimism stands out in the show, as he tries to prove he can coach the team. While all of this is going on, Lasso is also dealing with his own problems. My mom actually first recommended it to my sister and me, and once we watched the first episode, we were hooked. It has the perfect balance between lighthearted and comedic aspects to serious and deep topics, making it interesting and also making me want to binge the whole show.
Kim’s Convenience By: Carmen Torrecilla
Teen Wolf By: Lily Capizzi I came across the six-season show, “Teen Wolf”. This show revolves around Scott McCall, an awkward high school student living in the fictional California town of Beacon Hills. His life is changed forever after he is bitten by an alpha werewolf the night before his second year of high school.
The show is packed with thrilling, nail-biting twists that keep me on the edge of my seat and every 42-minute episode ends on a cliffhanger that will keep you coming back for more. My sister also got immediately hooked on the show as soon as she found out I was watching it. There were days when we would finish an entire season in 5 hours.
Kim’s Convenience, a Canadian sitcom, follows the life of a Korean-Canadian family who run a convenience store in Toronto. Full of lovable characters that embody the struggles and unique experiences of immigrants, this light-hearted” sitcom is packed with silly yet entertaining plots. The relatability of the jokes, being a Korean-American myself, made the show all the easier to connect to and relate to. I would literally lie on my bed and stare endlessly at the glowing screen. My hand would become numb from holding up my iPhone, as hour after hour was spent watching episode after episode. This show helped me connect to upbeat and hilarious characters during a time of social isolation and it also brought some plain fun to my mundane days! Graphic by Nina Pollak
Kanye Stays True to His Promise with Donda By: Gabe Gebrekristose
When Kanye West lost his mother back in 2007, he lost a piece of himself. This was reflected through all of his solo albums (with the exception of the Kids See Ghosts collaboration with Kid Cudi) that came after 2007. He has since been searching for something greater, seen prominently in his flipping through different musical styles. They range from one of the first emotionally vulnerable hip hop projects, 808s & Heartbreak, to the intense synths and samples that could fill an ego and a half featured in Yeezus. He became a “god” through Yeezus, but then accepted himself as human in Ye. It seems like Kanye has had a hard time finding a balance between the two. But now through his newest release, Donda, he may have taken the first step to finding that balance. Donda was first rumored to be released in early 2020, and the journey we’ve taken to be able to listen to it was more than a roller coaster. From ambitiously watching all three of his live streamed listening sessions, all
of which progressively became more confusing, to becoming more disappointed as each new release date got pushed back, it’s more than safe to say we deserved the album. Donda is a behemoth in size, spanning an hour and 48 minutes across 27 songs, with over 20 of those songs reaching the Top 100 chart (4 currently within the Top 100). It’s unsure however, if this is the final and complete project; “Universal put my album out without my approval and they blocked Jail 2 from being on the album,” Kanye declared via his Instagram. The product we see on streaming services contains features from household names such as Playboi Carti, The Weeknd, Lil Baby, Jay Z, and many more. Continuing where he left off with his 2019 release Jesus Is King, Donda is clean from start to finish where the explicit verses recorded by other artists are censored. This unfortunately left Outkast member André 3000 out of the album, a disappointing occurrence, yet a satisfying sign that Kanye
is staying true to his promise to follow his artistic vision. This vision all started with The Life of Pablo, his 2016 release that essentially connects Pablo Picasso, Pablo Escobar, and Saint Paul to Kanye. Although he was connected to Saint Paul and admired his work in the Christian faith, he envied him and believed he was similar to him. Jesus Is King did exactly the opposite, with Kanye stepping off of the throne and allowing Jesus to take the lead. Because of this Jesus Is King was one of Kanye’s most creatively restrictive album. The style of Donda is incredibly mixed between these two themes, with the christian faith being expressed as guiding force in moderation throughout the album. Donda is one of Kanye’s purest and most transparent pieces of expression to this date. His all-time high connection with spirituality serves as his road map in a time when he needs it the most.
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Feature
Sam Lev: A B-CC Student Working for Change
By: Naomi Kales
Sam Lev is a junior at B-CC. He is the Schoolwide SGA Vice President, the Community Relations Director of the Montgomery County Regional SGA, the Networking Director for MoCo for Change, a supervisor for Here2Help, a member of three honor societies, and a Link Crew Leader, trumpet player, and is on the B-CC crew team. If your first reaction to this list is “Wow”, you aren’t alone. Sam does an incredible job balancing this extensive list of extracurricular activities and truly embodies the hardworking spirit of B-CC. Although these commitments seem impossible to balance, Lev manages to do so. He has to complete his work between his obligations such as crew practice, which he does by practicing efficiency and productivity. He also has many of his commitments such as volunteer and advocacy work in the evenings and on the weekends, which makes it easier to do schoolwork during
the week. As the Schoolwide SGA Vice President, Lev and the rest of the SGA planned the first week of school pep rally and introduced this year’s B-CC Brigade. Up next, Lev is planning the Club Fair, as well as homecoming and the spirit week, pep rally, and general school spirit surrounding the game and dance. One of Lev’s SGA priorities for the year is equity and change, so the SGA will be working with Youth for Equity throughout the year. B-CC is also going to increase its presence and involvement in the county by encouraging students to engage with MCR SGA, just as Lev has. Lev is the MCR SGA’s Community Relations Director. In this position, he connects MCR with other advocacy groups in the county, including those of students, parents, and teachers. As Community Relations Director, he intends to increase the student voices that articulate similar goals and make MCR more equitable and accessible so every student can be involved. Lev says he aims to use his position to “keep fighting for educational equity by pushing for policies that promote those values”. Lev is very interested in making a change in the B-CC and Montgom-
ery County community, and another way he advocates for these changes is through MoCo for Change as its Networking Director. This organization is less formal than MCR and gives him more freedom within his position while still working toward similar goals. MoCo for Change has organized walkouts and art installations, fought for policies like the boundary study, and advocated for mental health resources and gun control. Last year, Lev was a dispatch coordinator for Here2Help, a student-run organization that was created by a former B-CC student at the start of the pandemic. Here2Help provides groceries to families in need, and as dispatch coordinator, he sorted requests and made delivery routes each week. Although he is no longer dispatch coordinator, Lev still has a presence in the organization by training dispatch coordinators and working to grow the organization, recruit volunteers, and connect Here2Help with clubs at B-CC. Lev has incredible aspirations for MCPS, but the biggest change he wants to make is helping those in need. He also wants to make a difference in the lives of each and every B-CC student. Mainly, Lev says he wants to “help people find something they are passionate about”. Photo provided by Sam Lev
Damaging Advice Wrapped in a Facade of Empowerment Opinion By Anna-Louise Cobau (This article contains sexual content. Reader discretion is advised) Alexandra Cooper is the host of the massively popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast. The show gets over 2.9 million listeners per episode. In 2020, “Call Her Daddy” was the 5th most popular podcast on Spotify.
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Graphic by Jack Clauss
Yet, the advice Cooper gives can be incredibly damaging, masked behind a facade of sexual empowerment. She teaches manipulation and a “hurt them before they hurt you” mentality to many young people who may be experiencing relationships for the first time. Cooper uses her immense platform to dish out shocking advice after shocking advice. . Cooper encourages listeners to hide sexual histories from partners. She tells women to know their ‘rank’ on a scale of 1-10, encouraging women to make up for “being unattractive” by “performing” sexually. And, she feeds on insecurities and encourages infidelity with mantras like “cheat or
be cheated on.” A show with millions of young viewers should not be teaching that the only way to maintain relationships is through sexual favors, and that if one does not engage in these behaviors, the partner will be unfaithful. This is both inaccurate and destructive for both partners in the relationship. This unbridled promotion of lying to a largely young and widely adolescent audience is incredibly wrong. Cooper is using her platform to spread damaging information. And with nearly 3 million listeners per episode, she has little incentive to change her formula. Join me in tuning Cooper out until she uses her platform to give out less toxic advice.
Feature
B-CC Community Steps Up to Help Afghan Refugees in Need By: Josh Garber and Laura Julia Fleischmann On August 31st, the Biden Administration officially withdrew from Afghanistan, ending a twenty-year-long occupation. On August 15th, before the official withdrawal date, the Afghan government collapsed, with the president, Ashraf Ghani, fleeing the country. The abrupt collapse of the US backed government and the Taliban’s rise to power comes at a time where the Afghan people are simultaneously facing drought, economic crisis, country-wide medical issues with the spread of COVID-19, and over 14 million people at risk of starvation as of June 2021. This has forced many to leave their country and seek asylum. The US government tried to evacuate those with American ties, however their efforts were roundly criticized for poor execution. Fortunately, a significant number of people were able to leave Afghanistan to make a new life for themselves. In the DMV area, many individuals and organizations are lending a hand to individuals coming to the area from Afghanistan. Lyric Winik, the president of the B-CC PTA, is one of those peo-
ple. An accomplished journalist and consistent writer in Afghan society, she has published numerous articles and a book about the treatment of women in Afghanistan. Recently, she has received numerous messages from Afghan women she had worked with previously. Many of these women are “female judges, women’s rights activists, women who ran girls’ schools, women who sheltered battered women, and women who worked for the government. They are all afraid of retaliation by the Taliban. In some cases, they have relatives who have already been killed to frighten them. Many are in hiding,” said Ms. Winik. Ms. Winik has spent countless hours aiding in the extensive evacuation and resettlement process of Afghani women, working with both local grassroots organizations and with US and European governments. Beyond Winik’s work, other locals are also stepping in to support Afghan refugees coming to the DC area. Groups like the Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area have helped welcome over 68 Afghan families. In addition, groups
like the Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, the Islamic-American Zakat Foundation, and others have all been collecting donations to support Afghan refugees. Local restaurants and businesses like the Berliner and Lapis have collected donations, and the restaurant Ivy and Coney has raised over $3,000 to support HIAS, an organization that supports refugees as they resettle in the United States. In such a large crisis, it’s easy to disassociate; when things are overwhelming as they are, not knowing what to do is understandable. However, there are things we can all do to help out our community. Study history, so we don’t have to repeat it. Read the news, and stay informed; use credible sources, and be aware of “fake news” making its rounds on the Internet. If you’re still lost, open Google. There are numerous organizations in the area looking for volunteers to lend a hand with all sorts of tasks. Most importantly, simply remember to be kind and compassionate. We’re all in this together.
Latin American History & Culture Class Comes to B-CC
By: Michael Shapiro
the course is clearly something very unique, but also a welcome change to her students. Teddy Fisher, a Senior in her class, recalls other classes such as “our AP history, or Honors US, and their focus on what the state wants us to learn.” In contrast, “she [Ms. Pagán] made a commitment to focus on things that we’re not told, certain stories that have not been told before.” This flexibility has gone on to make a difference. Teddy declared, “it’s different because it feels like we don’t really have a textbook or set curriculum we have to go through. We’re kind of just exploring the class together.” Looking back at the process of bringing the course to B-CC, Ms. Pagán reflected, “I don’t know if it was difficult, but there was some concern I think with the powers that be there if it (Latin American History and Culture) would
enroll enough. My dream is to eventually grow it into a year-long course.” Considering the class exceeded expectations by not only getting filled, but over-enrolled, the momentum seems to be there. As Latin American History & Culture seems to have gotten off to a great start, it looks to build on this and go from a new elective to a B-CC mainstay. For anyone looking to take an exciting elective, this may be the one.
Graphic by Nina Pollak
As the new school year approaches, a sense of excitement engulfs B-CC. New opportunities and courses have students pumped up for the year. One exciting new class is Latin American History and Culture, a course created and taught by Ms. Pagán. No stranger to bringing excitement to B-CC, Ms. Pagán also teaches BCCTV as well as English 12. According to Ms. Pagán, the course “is technically just Latin American History, but [she] wanted to make it Latin American History and Culture to talk about the impacts Latin Americans have had on culture shifts, and movements across the globe.” Expanding on her twist on the course, Ms. Pagán continues, “[she has] had a lot of freedom creating this class, there is no textbook, so a lot of it is kind of what [she wants] to do”. Ms. Pagán’s freedom to change
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Sports
Committed Barons
Grayson O’Marra: Lacrosse By: Lola Nordlinger
Grayson O’Marra is a senior who has committed to play lacrosse at Denison, a member of the North Coast Atlantic Conference (NCAC) in NCAA Division III. Since starting lacrosse in 2nd grade, her love for the sport only grew as she joined a travel team in 5th grade and has played at a high level since. Playing at B-CC only enhanced her love for lacrosse as it helped her stay in shape throughout the season while providing her the opportunity to play with girls outside her travel team. She attributes her leadership skills to lacrosse as her sport, teammates, and coaches taught her how to, “be a good leader on and off the field” and how to “push herself in competition.” Anyone who knows Grayson can attest to her innate competitiveness and strong leadership skills. Grayson spoke on COVID’s impact
on the recruitment process and how difficult it became. With ID camps and tournaments cancelled, prospective college athletes–like O’Marra–used film to recruit, which she says was a “stressful but good learning experience.” When talking about furthering her lacrosse career at Denison, Grayson is
nothing but excited. This past year, Denison went 12-2 in regular season play, outscoring opponents 231-96. She looks forward to the increased level of play and heightened intensity at Denison. The stakes are high, she says, but she is ready for her next 4 years!
Photo by Michael Coyle
Beck Urofsky: Baseball By: Bennett Galper
Senior Beck Urofsky, a 4-year varsity baseball player and golfer, is committed to play Division I baseball at Cornell University. As a freshman, he led the top of the Barons batting order, hitting 4th with a .309 average while driving in 16 runs in 21 games. The Barons unfortunately came short in the playoffs, losing 2-1 to Whitman in the 4A section semi-finals. The cancellation of the 2020
spring season was a major setback for Urofsky and the Barons, but the problems for Urofsky didn’t stop there. Due to the pandemic, recruitment strategies had shifted, making the process even harder. With in person camps and showcases unavailable, it was up to athletes to get themselves out there. Metrics and highlight videos have become the focal point for exposure to college coaches. Despite the set-
back, Urofsky came roaring back in the 2021 season with a .378 batting average driving 13 runs in a 10-game abbreviated season where the Barons would go on to win the 4A West Division. Urofsky and the Baron’s 2021 state championship run was once again cut short, losing to Churchill 6-3 in the 4A West Regional Championship. After an impressive 2021 season, Urofsky received offers to play baseball at various Division 1 universities, but ultimately chose Cornell. Along with baseball, Urofsky is the varsity golf captain and took an exceptional leadership role due to the tragic passing of golf coach Billy Butkiewicz. As a freshman, Urofsky played a big role in the team’s run to states. He served as a player/coach during the hiring of a new coach during the shortened fall season, assisting his fellow teammates as well as taking on tough competition. Although golf has been a part of Urofsky’s athletic career for a while, he is looking forward to playing baseball at Cornell.
Photo by Peter Braverman
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By: Paul Fine, Micah Schuchman & Lola Nordlinger A 43-6 Homecoming win over Wootton. A 4-1 record. The “Guck” is packed for every home game. B-CC football is officially back. How exactly did we get here? We’ve got your midterm/midseason review. Take notes. There will be a quiz. Season Opener The line to get in extends all the way to Pearl Street as fans await the first game of the season at “The Guck”. Decked out in blue and gold, the Baron faithful is ready to cheer on their football team. The delicious smells from the food truck entice a deluge of hungry fans. Baron pride is in full swing with the poms team, drumline, and cheer all performing. With two minutes left on the clock, the Poolesville Falcons are in the midst of an impressive drive after giving up a late touchdown to make the score 19-16 B-CC. The Barons are on their heels, with the ball on their own 40-yard line. The Falcons quarterback takes the snap and drops back, he airs it out to a receiver deep down field, a jump ball between DB Kai Murphy and the wide receiver. As the ball floats through the air, a pin drop could be heard throughout the stadium as the fans watch in anticipation. Intercepted. Murphy comes down with the ball and the crowd goes crazy. The B-CC offensive unit jogs back onto the field and gets into victory formation, as they take a kneel and finish game one in the win column, score 19-16. The crowd erupts in cheer, the drumline sounds and the victorious Barons make their way off the field. Game 2 The crowd is just as big, maybe even bigger; there is not an empty seat in the student section. In another nail biting ending, the Richard Montgomery Rockets have the ball on 3rd and goal, down by 6. Their quarterback drops back, and throws the ball to a wide open receiver running a slant across the end zone. Maybe it was the roar of the crowd or the bright lights of The
Guck that gets to the poor RM receiver, but he drops the ball. The crowd goes nuts. 4th and goal, and the chance for a legendary goal line stand. The ball is snapped. Quick pass. It’s there for the RM receiver, and he dives for it. It looks like he has it, and the crowd goes dead silent. No! The ball squirts out. Turnover on downs! The bleachers are rocking as B-CC’s fans go nuts. 19-13, the scoreboard reads, and the Barons stay undefeated. Game 3 The Barons take a trip to Shepherd Field next to try to keep their winning streak against Churchill. Nerves are high in the stands as the Baron’s crowd settles in to watch their first away game. The Bulldogs manage to get a touchdown early in the game, and from then on, both team’s defense are the clear MVPs as no other points were scored from then on. On the final drive of the game, the Barons missed on a key opportunity to tie the game, making their record 2-1. Game 4 The Barons bounce back quickly, taking on Gaithersburg in full stride. Unfazed by the Trojan atmosphere, the ever-so electric Barons running back Phil Bediako takes it to the house twice for two rushing touchdowns and quarterback Spencer Upston connects with Shane Schwartz for the third touchdown of the night. Not only does the offense have the crowd going wild, but the defense is just as cinematic with Kai Murphy upping his interception count to 4 and Ben Williams coming in with a clutch interception with just two minutes to spare. And with that, our Barons are 3-1.
Photo by Johanna Krejza
B-CC Football’s Back!
Home Coming Biggest game of the year: Hoco. The COVID scare on the Wooton football team was resolved before kickoff, so both teams are competing at full strength. The Barons take a commanding 7-0 lead marching down the field to the chants of an enthusiastic homecoming crowd. Midway through the first half, Wooton receiver Holden O’Brien catches the ball and turns up field with space to run. Suddenly, he is met by Senior Phil Bediako. Boom. Bediako absolutely levels O’Brien. The crowd first erupts in cheers then, suddenly, goes silent. Both Bediako and O’Brien are slow to get up. Bediako gingerly limps off the field to a multitude of B-CC trainers and staff. O’Brien, however, cannot single muscle. Both the families and teammates of Bediako and O’Brien are on the field and circling around the players, an unsettling scene for all. Two ambulances pull onto the field to take care of the athletes as the fans send their prayers to the two boys. The game commences once again with a competitive, yet more compassionate energy. The Barons, triumphant in their efforts, put a beating down on Wootton with a final score of 43-6 improving their record to an impressive 4-1. Baron pride is restored; the football team has instilled a new spirit throughout the school. Students can feel it on Friday’s, with players beaming as they wear their jerseys down the halls to a chorus of compliments and good wishes. ---For the quiz and our complete sports coverage, follow us on Instagram @bcctattler and on Twitter @tattlerbcc.
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Artifact Found By: Rudy Echavarria A faded note was discovered wedged behind a loose brick in a back-corner wall of the media center. No document found to date provides a more significant window into this misunderstood period in B-CC’s history: Period 8. To whoever finds this, I am in the media center, behind the Manga section, trying to breathe quietly. I need to get out of here. But, all exits are being watched. What has my high school turned into? My heart drops each time I hear footsteps nearby. I can hear their walkie-talkies echo through the hallways. I see the new freshmen holding in their cries behind Fiction. Please don’t cry out.
They’ll find us. This is not how I remember my beautiful B-CC from before the virus outbreak. More footsteps- more distinct this time. I must make a move. The Media Center has been compromised. It must be ten...fifteen minutes since the end of seventh period. Will they never stop their patrol? I hope you, the person who finds this note, knows nothing of Blue weeks and Gold
Weeks. A Days and B Days. Nothing of 8th periods. Please don't forget me. Please don't forget us all. Sincerely, Jermaine Jeffrey P.S. ask Mariam T. (on the DL),if she’d be down to go to Hoco with me!
Photos by Johanna Krejza
Homecoming Weekend in Pictures
The dedicated team of Barons behind this publication includes Newsletter Editors (Jonah Pachman, Micah Schuchman, Paul Fine, and Laura-Julia Fleischmann) & Art Editors (Sydney Theis, Nina Pollak, and Jack Clauss). Meet the entire amazing staff (too many to name here). Follow us @bcctattler (Instagram) and @tattlerbcc (Twitter) where you’ll find News, Opinion, Style and Feature articles, videos, podcasts and so much more.
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