The '21-'22 MCPS Amplifier

‘21- ‘22

Why Amplify?

It was August 2021 when we were selected to lead The Amplifier, the countywide student journalism magazine of Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.

For some of us, it was a “do it for college” kind of thing. You know, something that would look good on a college application supplemental.

Then, the 2021-2022 school year happened.

We all expected turbulence returning to full-time, in-person school after the pandemic, but we did not expect violence to drag MCPS onto the evening news night after night. We knew mental health was on the decline among teens, but we could not imagine it would take classmates from us.

In April, we learned from the CDC that 44% of American teens feel persistently hopeless (up from 26% in 2009). Less than a month later, we watched in horror as an 18 year-old killed 10 in a Buffalo supermarket. A week later, another 18 year-old killed 19 children and 2 adults at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. What seemed like a “nice” thing to do back in August is now clearly a public safety imperative.

While we watch Congress squabble over sensible gun legislation, there is something else each of us can do right now.

Listen to teens.

It is the right thing to do: morally, psychologically, and for the greater well-being.

Listen to teens.

We are not trying to be sensational or alarmist. However, if almost half of teens are feeling persistently hopeless, an unbearable number (i.e. any number greater than zero) of teens are at risk of doing harm to themselves or others.

We either listen to teenagers or we are in for a world of hurt.

America clearly understands the power of teen voices. In 2018, we crowded the streets of D.C. for March for Our Lives to hear David Hogg and Emma “X” González, Stoneman Douglas survivors, and gun control activists.

Yet, America fails to provide a consistent platform for teen voices.

--Assembling The Amplifier, we realized that print journalism is a luxury restricted more and more to schools in higher-income zip codes, leaving too many without a voice.

The Amplifier aims to change that narrative.

Over the past three months, we assembled a team of talented writers, editors, and artists representing 15 schools in Montgomery County.

We applaud MCPS for having our back, agreeing to finance the printing of thousands of copies of The Amplifier, with no censorship whatsoever. They have made it possible for The Amplifier to be a magazine purely for student expression: free of cost, free of advertisement, and free of spin.

This edition of the magazine is organized around a day in the life of a high school student. Each chapter chronicles a different point of the day: the hallway, class, lunch, a party, etc.

--If those in power refuse to give students a platform, we will do it ourselves. This edition of The Amplifier tells the story of students and pushes their voices to center stage. It is a platform where student voices and concerns can be communicated, where their opinions can be heard en masse, where they are represented, expressed, and most importantly… Amplified.

The Editorial Staff

This edition of the Amplifier features student writing, art and ideas from:

Bethesda-Chevy Chase James Hubert Blake Winston Churchill Damascus Albert Einstein Walter Johnson John F. Kennedy Col. Zadok Magruder Richard Montgomery Northwest Quince Orchard Paint Branch Watkins Mill Walt Whitman Thomas Wootton Now, a word about the art on the covers (all 11 of them) That word is “Jack.” If you think Gen Z lacks passion, talent, follow-through, attention span, and empathy, then clearly you don’t know Jack Clauss.

We shared with Jack our vision. We asked him to help us follow a senior through the last day of school (Friday May 27, 2022).

Jack created an 11-point POV adventure that the creators of Oculus could only dream of replicating.

Special thanks to Emerson Delfin for designing our logo

TABLE of 1. HALLWAY

2. ACTIVISM

O

I

de to the high school hallway. Hollywood and TV have made the hallway a place of mystique; the reality is a bit different. Today’s lockers, for example, remain mostly empty: scarcely used for holding books, let alone cowering freshmen. Yet, as one of the few authentic melting pots of school, the hallway is the perfect place to study high school culture.

n the last few years, teenagers have moved to the forefront of activism. From the courageous voices of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, to the unrelenting tenacity of young leaders throughout the Black Lives Matter movement, we have witnessed the power of the teenage voice time and time again.

In Montgomery County, teens carry on the tradition.

5. COVID

6. REDEFINING OUR GENERATION

T

he pandemic has plagued us for far too long. This section seeks to examine the wide range of effects that can be attributed to COVID. Only after conducting a thorough analysis of these effects can we seek to move forward from such a wild period in time.

9. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

A

dults, close your eyes.

This section might scare you a little. Or take you back to a younger version of yourself. Sometimes, the things we need to hear the most are the things we talk about the least. Life as a teenager is not as glamorous as Hollywood makes it out to be.

W

herever we go, Gen Z receives unrelenting criticism from previous generations. Now, we are taking back the narrative.

Editors in Chief the

‘21-‘22 Amplifier Staff

Aaron Tiao Michael Shapiro

Managing Editors: Josh Garber Gabe Gebrekristose Elyas Laubach Nathaniel Schrader Sammy Schuchman Sydney Theis

CONTENTS 3. HATE

4. LUNCH

igotry is an unfortunate reality throughout our nation. However, if we want to stop hate in our county, we cannot run from it. Instead, we need to confront it. We must inform and commit ourselves to substantive action to eliminate hatred in our communities.

F

7. SPORTS

8. THE PARTY

his was the first full year of high school sports in Montgomery County since 2019 and, boy, have things changed since then. A generation of MoCo student-athletes have the game on lock, and they are not afraid to make themselves heard.

rying to emulate older kids, role models, and celebrity personas, it is commonplace for high school students to use parties to engage in activities far beyond their age and maturity. While parties can be a positive opportunity to connect with classmates and friends, they can also be wildly unpredictable.

B

T

Section Editors: Katherine Comer Bennett Galper Hannah Troubh Madison Sherman Sofia Norberte Nikki Mirala Karenna Barmada Samantha Wu Micah Schuchman Kate FitzGerald Mimi Danzis Sophie Hummel

or many students, lunch is the highlight of the school day. You get to sit, eat, and unwind, all while catching up with your friends. What more could one wish for? Over the course of this section, you will read about school “tea” pages, snitch culture, the art of the ratio, and much more.

T

Featured Artists: Jack Clauss Sydney Theis Sanjay Fernando Nina Pollak Claire Wang Lawrence Strothers Aubrey Samuels Elizabeth Dorokhina

Sponsor

David Lopilato

The Amplifier is made possible through the generous financial support and tireless professional support of MCPS Editorial, Graphics & Publishing Services.

EGPS just gets it - the importance of teen voices to solving cultural problems.

7

HALLWAY

The High School Hallway: Myth vs. Reality

BY KATE FITZGERALD AND MIMI DANZIS

ART BY OLIVIA ROMANO

P

icture this: You and your two best friends who have all the same classes as you, hanging out at your decorated locker for 20 minutes before your US history class. There is a big dance tonight, and your only worry in life is if you are going to have to dissect a frog in science class. While that may be what every little kid imagines high school to be, this is far from reality. Television shows and movies portray scenarios like this as a “real” high school experience. However, in reality, many spend the six minutes between classes sprinting up stairs with a 20 pound backpack on, school dance plans are made months in advance and animal dissections are uncommon if they even happen.

Our whole childhood entertainment built up the high school experience and failed to mention the reality.

Jessica Arnold, a senior at BethesdaChevy Chase High School, says that the shows she watched in her childhood definitely had an impact on her expectations of what high school would be like. The biggest difference she noticed was the amount of work. “We have a lot more school work than in those shows because they never actually do school-

work,” Arnold says.

There are common themes that run throughout a variety of childhood shows. One thing Arnold notes is that “the main characters have one best friend and they don’t talk to anyone else. In real life, you have a lot of acquaintances or class friends that you’re friends with.” Overall, a central theme is that all of these Disney and Nickelodeon shows “are mainly about high schoolers but not really about their high school life. It’s more about their social life or other activities they are involved in.”

Most kids come into high school and have many expectations, from never having homework to being the most popular kid in school. These expectations are often proven false very quickly upon entering high school.

One of the main things these shows do not place emphasis on is the overall stress that exists. The excess stress that comes from school work, social life, college preparation, sports, extracurriculars, and life outside of school does not even begin to cover all of the things that cause high schoolers anxiety.

High school is a period of constant change. Kids are learning what they

like and dislike and everyone hopefully matures a little bit along the way.

Overall, it is a time when extreme personal growth occurs. In TV shows, everyone’s friends stay the same the entire time. While this may be true for some, in most cases people’s friends are fluid and change as you progress through school. You get close to some people and grow apart from others. As interests and values change, this is a very normal thing.

High school is a time that prepares you for the real world. Not only does it teach you information that will get you into college, but also lessons that will help you to navigate the world beyond your hometown. These lessons are over simplified in the TV shows. In a 30 minute show, there is a conflict and a resolution by the time the credits roll.

In reality, the lessons that are learned in high school take time and are often more complex.

While childhood shows provide us with entertainment and a vague understanding of high school life, there is much more to it than portrayed. High school can only be fully understood through experience.

8

HALLWAY

The Strange Familiar & The Familiar Strange International students navigate American high schools

BY LOUISE BENHAMOU AND AXELLE CORMARY They grew up watching it from afar on their TVs: High School Musical, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or even Clueless. Then, the day came when they had the opportunity to make it a reality. They were in for a new and exciting American life, where they would be experiencing football games with cheerleaders, countless high school parties, and making lots of friends. Basically high school in the United States, right? No. High schools in the U.S. let international students down.

The large and impactful differences between their academic life in their home countries and the United States begs the question: Why is the American public school system so different for international students?

A key difference that international students noticed right away was the way that students and teachers interact. “The teacher-student relationship is also crazy. As an Italian, seeing students talk to teachers the way they do with their friends was a shock. Every time the teacher walks into an Italian

class, we all have to stand up to show respect and wait for them to tell us to sit down. We use an extremely formal tone. But I actually love this relationship [with teachers in the US], because it can make your academic experience much better, and unless you have lived in another country, you don’t even realize it. There is a lot of communication, which is really important in a student’s career.”

International students also noticed the grade inflation that exists in comparison to the international system. A student from Spain said, “In general, I think my grades have been better. I think this is because the grading system is based more on projects instead of tests.”

A French student agreed. When asked about the difference between social life in Europe compared to the US, they said, “I haven’t been able to make American friends to socialize with outside of school.” This was in line with the Italian student, who said that at first, they had “no social life. It was nothing like [the glamor of] High School Musical or American high school TV shows.

It was all the negative [aspects] of the movies.” They both agreed that it was and still is difficult to introduce themselves to Americans as new students.

Overall, many international students, regardless of their nationality, had similar perspectives on the process of integrating into American culture. While they found it hard to engage and befriend American students, they had no problems making friends with other international students. This raises the question of what we can do to better accept and accommodate students from different backgrounds.

PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN TULIN

9 HALLWAY

opinion

The Age of Promposals is Over

BY AIDAN FRANZE

P

An old-school, hallway-clogging promposal of Biblical proportions: performed and accepted in Spring 2022

rom is an age-old tradition. Getting a date, going with friends, taking pictures, music, lights - the whole spiel. But there is something that seems to have lost its touch: the promposal.

This is the first step, the acquisition of a date.

As time has gone by, the use of promposals has faded. A promposal is supposed to be big, and dramatic. Or, it used to be. There are stories of fireworks, parades, and flower petal pathways all the way to the grand question.

This has changed; now, it is a quick text, a poster (maybe), or at most, some flowers.

So, what changed? Is it us? Is it prom?

When did it lose its magic? It seems like prom has slowly just become another night, and is no longer THE night. But on the other hand, why should it be the

night? Not to downplay it, but prom is just a dance. When it really comes down to it, you get dressed up, take some pictures, and go to a party. It is fun, but it’s not like it has to be the greatest night of your life. So maybe because of that mindset, students have accepted that the promposal does not have to be that big of a deal either.

This is not to say it is not a fun experience for all involved, but it certainly isn’t what it used to be. It also might have to do with the fact that it feels as though everything has been done before.

Or maybe, we have all simply outgrown it. At the end of day, while promposals may be dying, they are not dead yet. I suppose the age-old tradition can be taken as seriously as each person wants to.

Art by Sanjay Fernando

10

HALLWAY

What kind of hallway goer are you?

BY GABE GEBREKRISTOSE AND JOSH GARBER

T

he high school halls are full of a variety of archetypes. To find a student who doesn’t resemble at least one of the cliche stereotypes would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. After almost three years of high school, I’ve had the luxury of observing an array of walkers in their natural habitat. To give insight into my research, I’ve compiled a list of six walkers you will see on a normal day.

THE FRESHMAN

THE ATHLETE

THE COUPLE

Two wings, four flights of stairs, and 300,000 square feet of high school for a 14-year-old pubescent teen is a jungle, to say the least. Their 400-meter dash begins promptly at 11:13, maneuvering through the halls with Usain Boltlike speed, Naruto-running through an imaginary finish line (it’s literally just Lunch. You’re running to get chicken tenders at 11 in the morning LOL).

When Giannis Antetokounmpo was dubbed “a freak on and off the court,” JV benchwarmers internalized this mentality. To make up for their lack of in-game flicks and playing time, these guys get reps in by slapping the top of door frames, doing fake crossovers on unsuspecting girls they secretly have crushes on, and hitting a poorly executed euro-step on their fellow waterboys and benchwarmers.

The consensus opinion on the stereotypical high school hallway couple is that they are annoying. These people will procreate in front of your eyes before you get your butt kicked by Precalculus. We calculated that “band kids are 2.5 times more likely to be a part of this cohort than any other group of kids. Furthermore, we gathered a sample size of high school hallway couples, and through a GoF test, we failed to reject the hypothesis that high school hallway couples are really annoying.”

MR. NO GAME

THE BIG GROUP

SLOW WALKERS

At least twice a day, you will notice this man stalking the halls, unsuccessfully spitting game at a girl who he is firmly in the friend zone with. Typical inquiries include corny phrases such as “Get to class,” “I have my license” (aka. an expired learner’s permit to drive his mother’s 2008 Honda Odyssey) ,“You’re so short” (despite Mr. No Game being 5’7” in Vapor Maxes), and “Where’s my hug at?” If this happens to be you, please reconsider the events that have caused you to become this person. A moment of silence for all students who have had to witness this abomination of a student.

The big group of students that occupy the halls is nothing but a roadblock.

We have listened to some of their conversations and they are below average at best. They are a waste of space, not worth the inconvenience of walking around them, yet big enough to make you late to your 2nd period.

Our opinion on slow walkers in the hallways is that they are really slow.

The next time you are tempted to hit an imaginary fadeaway in the hall, sprint through a group of students to be the first in line for lunch, stop to join a group of ten in the middle of the hallway, or display PDA on your way to Spanish, don’t.

Just get to class.

PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN TULIN

12 HALLWAY

sub HIGH SCHOOL EDITIO

BY GABE GEBREKRISTOSE AND JOSH GARBER

“I

’m sharp, there were endless heads there fool. They were all flicking up, and they all were NPC’s.” What on earth does any of that mean?

We will dissect and define the 2022 vernacular of a contemporary teenager in the D.C., Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area, and beyond.

After all, according to the Planet Word, teens (teen girls in particular) have added more words to English than any other demographic.

USER ADVISORY: These terms may be obsolete real soon- in fact, they may be obsolete by the time this edition is printed. Do not use without the expressed consent of an actual teenager.

Treat this dictionary as a linguistic snapshot and time capsule of teen vernacular circa JUNE 2022.

BET

Used in the affirmative Person 1: “My Mom said you guys can come to my house later to watch the Wizards game.”

Person 2: “Bet.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

33

BRICKS

A metric of measurement, usually describing something that is far away.

“The walk from my house to school is bricks.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

33

GEEKS

Denoting a humorous situation.

“That junior on J.V. football posting a fake offer on his Instagram story was geeks.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

1

111

LINK To hang out, in particular with someone you are romantically interested in.

“Did you link with your crush last weekend?”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

208

N

GIVING Akin to

“If you still make DaBaby jokes, its giving unfunny.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

22

Non-playable character in a video game or someone who lacks critical thinking/basic social awarenes/skills.

2

LIVE

A fun, exciting event.

“That party last night was live”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

77

NPC

1

768

99

22

RAP

To make fun of, diss, or embarrass someone.

“Only NPCs wear Fortnite merch unironically.”

“Your ex was rapping on you the other day. She said that you’re ugly and that she wishes she never dated you.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

by The Amplifier June, 2022

81

1

1

81

13 HALLWAY

FADE

FLAMING

To attend, to go.

“Let’s fade Chipotle after the gym.”

To over-share or be blatant.

“Why would you tell Michael Shapiro I have a crush on him?

That’s flaming!”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

673

Used to denote a large crowd. “ There are heads at the football game.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

An extremely lazy, unmotivated individual.

“Editor-in-chief, Aaron Tiao, is a loaf” for not catching and editing out this rap (see RAP).

by The Amplifier June, 2022

Applicable in one’s life.

Person 1: “I suck at Math, I am going to fail my class.”

Person 2: “Real.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

44

To be above your peers.

“Lebron had another triple double last night, he’s him.”

57

“Fool, did you see the game last night?.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

912

3

HIP

To relate to or be knowledgeable of something to a great extent.

“Are you hip to Babytron?”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

33

A person heavily relying on someone or something.

“Skip Bayless is a Michael Jordan merchant.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

109

813

The act of attracting someone.

“That dude is staring at you; rizz him up!”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

330

33

MOVE(S)

Party, a function.

“That move got shut down by the police Saturday night.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

11

5

RIZZ

22

by The Amplifier June, 2022

33

MERCHANT

533

REAL

Has a similar effect to saying “dude.”

7

HIM

3

LOAF

33

991

12

HEADS

86

by The Amplifier June, 2022

FOOL

11

SLAY

To kill it, to excel, to something in fashion.

“My outfit today slayed.”

by The Amplifier June, 2022

1

76

15 ACTIVISM

opinion

No one is listening...

BY JOSH GARBER

A

ctivism. I am sure we have all seen and heard this word in its various forms a million times before.

If you have frequented social media at all within the last two years, you have certainly experienced the all-too-common ignorance of someone posting a Change.org petition to stop an authoritarian leader from committing war crimes, while changing their Instagram bio to note their world-renowned advocacy.

On the other hand, you have the anti-activists, quick to respond to any cry for justice as fascism or communism (despite not knowing the definition of either). Both sides, whether they intend to or not, do the larger domain of activism a disservice.

One dilutes the actual work being done, watering it down into an action that can be slapped onto a resumé or retweeted, and just left there without pushing for any larger systemic/social change, while the other antagonizes people trying to create change. Anti-activists solely aim to maintain the status quo - or worse, reverse it.

Both do little good and result in far

more infighting, culture wars, and performative gestures than changes that lead to a better society.

In the middle of some of the most trying times in modern history, I think many of us are a bit wary of modernday activism, and that is completely understandable. Its culture has changed dramatically since the start of the pandemic. All of the painful and traumatic experiences brought upon us over the past two years have changed my perspective on things; admittedly, I have lost a lot of faith in this field. Why spend all of this time researching, educating, and advocating for issues if seemingly nothing will come of it? There really is not a clear answer.

However, if we collectively try to rethink activism as a whole, we may get somewhere. I propose that we all take a collective step back. We no longer dedicate ourselves to fighting every injustice in this world. One person cannot properly inform themselves on every societal issue and advocate for it while simultaneously keeping up with the responsibilities of life - it is unrealistic. Instead, we should choose a few

issues to deeply dive into; we should learn about them, inform others about them, critically think about them, and most importantly, act upon them. That is not to dilute the importance of educating and informing ourselves and those around us. But, the larger point of activism is using what we’ve learned and channeling it into action.

The beauty of activism is that there are a multitude of avenues you can take to make a difference. If you are lost, that’s fine. Just go onto Google. I guarantee that if you spend five minutes searching about an issue, you can find a way to advocate for it. Nearly all of our progression as a society has come, one way or another, through activism.

Now, more than ever, we need driven, informed, and passionate people to fight for a better world. It may not be easy, but it is necessary to do if we want things to get better. Worse comes to worst, you can just put it on your college application.

...so why should we give a s#!t about activism?

16

opinion

ACTIVISM

We can’t let student activism become another casualty of the pandemic

BY VALERIE HOANG t’s no surprise that student participation in advocacy has increased drastically over the past few years.

Numerous student-led organizations have popped up around the county, including MoCo STEPS and MoCo on Climate, which are just a few of the many initiatives students can join. In addition, larger-scale groups in Montgomery County, such as the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (MoCo MCR), show the rise in student advocacy. During the 2021-22 school year, liaisons for various up-and-coming grassroots organizations were added to the MCR Executive Board, merging student-run advocacy with student government.

“The last couple years have changed student advocacy in MCPS,” Magruder senior Himanshu Ghediya states, adding that “it has brought light to social justice within our own communities and provided opportunities for students to get involved, regardless of the setbacks they face.”

What contributed to the increasing interest among students to advocate for political and social issues? One major cause is likely social media. The growth in student advocacy began before the COVID-19 pandemic plagued the world due to major events such as

the election of Donald Trump and the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

However, the period of quarantine exacerbated social media’s effects on activism. After all, students were stuck at home all day, and, unsurprisingly, many of them ended up on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Social media is an easy way to spread information around.

“Social media made youth a lot more aware of the issues and systems that directly impact them, and having a virtual format for events has made advocacy much more accessible for students... the amount of participation in studentled groups and testifying efforts has grown exponentially,” Northwest junior Maahe Kunvar says.

Despite its negatives, social media has made it easier to share opportunities to become involved in advocacy, which could entail signing a digital petition to block a law or attending a virtual town hall about an issue with people from across the world.

As we moved into a virtual world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for student advocacy almost instantly became more accessible. While in-person events often have limitations, such as location and time, technol-

ogy allows for many more students to join meetings and other virtual events.

Rather than dealing with the logistics of getting to a meeting, we could just join a Zoom, listen, and discuss. Put this together with social media, and students now have increased involvement and access to taking part in advocating for issues they care about.

As MCPS begins to shift back into in person activities, another thought arises - many students in top leadership positions tend to come from well-known organizations or schools, so it’s important to involve students from all over the county. “We need to continue providing virtual options for our students so student advocacy is available to everyone,” Himanshu suggests. Many organizations in MCPS have started having hybrid meetings, where some students can attend inperson while others can join in from Zoom.

As we all continue to move back into “how things used to be,” it’s important that we remember to keep accessibility and engagement in mind - after all, social change is driven by the support of people from varying backgrounds, each bringing their own experiences to the table.

ART BY KELSEA PETERSEN

I

17

ACTIVISM

Performative Activism: The College Conundrum

BY BENNETT GALPER

T

he pressure of the college application process has loomed over generations of high schoolers.

With college admissions getting more competitive every year, students are constantly conceiving new ways to stand out. Those who wish to attend particularly competitive schools may even feel compelled to build resumes that showcase participation in a plethora of activities.

Since the last admissions cycle prepandemic, college acceptance rates have fallen significantly; from 2020 to 2021, Yale’s rates dropped from 6.5% to 4.6% and Tufts’s from 15% to 11% according to Admissions Sights.

Due to the recent higher volume of candidates, especially with the onset of test-optional reporting, college admissions officers must carefully select the students they admit. The criteria applicants must meet expands far beyond class rank, GPA, optional SAT/ACT scores, and essays. Should a student wish to go to a competitive college or university, they must demonstrate excellence in academics and extracurriculars.

However, the college admissions process is not a one-way street; no applicant is the same. One student may fully invest herself in a few clubs at school, while another may dip toes into a dozen different activities. However, when it comes to college applications, is quantity better than quality?

B-CC college counselor Catherine Heald concluded that admissions officers favor students who clearly are dedicated to their interests throughout high school. Schools want zealous undergraduates, not students who skim the surface of multiple activities. Heald added that “colleges like to see some passion in what students do outside of school.”

It seems obvious that when one is more passionate about an activity, it is easier to invest more effort, resulting in better outcomes, but, still, some students think doing everything with minimal effort looks better to colleges.

Heald often comes across students who go on long service trips because they believe the activity will look favorable to their dream college. While those trips are a way to render public service, “volunteering in a shelter throughout high school says much more about you as a person,” Heald said.

In addition, Heald specified many students are so fixated on getting into a “good” school that they may miss the college that fits them best. By focusing too much on building the perfect resume for a particular school, students might not truly invest in things they enjoy - falling into a trap. They may or may not be admitted to that higher-prestige school as a result, or they may find themselves at a school

that was not the right one for them.

With all the essays, schoolwork, and activities that high schoolers must complete, the college application process is yet another glass ball to juggle. It seems clear to the experts that students will strengthen their applications by focusing on what they love. Not only will students present their true selves on applications, but they will also discover a more fulfilling high school experience.

ART BY AUBREY SAMUELS

18

ACTIVISM

It’s not just a wave. It’s a tsunami.

The many facets of today’s feminism

19

ACTIVISM

BY MAGGIE JOHNSON AND MADDY LAY

F

eminism had always been an important issue for Gigi, but it was a Monday morning at school when she yelled at two boys in her class for making ignorant comments that she really used her voice outside of social media to spread her beliefs.

“They were just asking me sarcastic questions and making fun of the idea of feminism,” Gigi says. At first instinct she yelled at them, but “then I realized that they just wanted attention, so I ignored them.”

Feminism had been changing even before the pandemic, but perhaps it had never been in the spotlight like it was after COVID 19 hit. Sparking a number of movements and protests, the pandemic allowed previously silenced voices to finally be heard. One of those voices includes teen feminists.

Not simply teen feminists, but many branches including marxist, radical, and conservative feminism. Yet, despite each branch focusing on their own goals, they each still continue to face their own individual challenges and obstacles.

According to The Cut, a Vox media network, “69 percent -- girls between the ages of 13 and 18 are the group most likely to self-define as feminist. In older groups, 54 percent of women aged 18 to 24, and 44 percent of women aged 25– 34 identified with the term. Only 36 percent of women 55 and above would call themselves feminists.” As generations progress and more waves of feminism arise, there seems to be an upward trend in the number of selfidentified feminists. This increase could be due to the increased educational opportunities of the Internet, celebrities promoting feminism, or the rise of the democratic party and its ever-growing identification with the feminist movement.

Not only that, but each new generation continues to broaden feminism, allowing more people to identify with the term. Gigi never thought too much

ART BY MELODY FRIEDMAN

about feminism. She was born with two mothers and though she had always been open-minded to feminism, she never learned about the movement until COVID. Gigi notes how the pandemic was a gateway to education regarding feminism as it “spread awareness of transphobia and all the intersectionality in feminism; social media gave me a first-hand account of things I don’t experience.”

Gigi also learned about the connection between the capitalist system and sexism. From this, she started aligning herself with Marxist feminism. “The capitalist system has a huge hindering effect on women,” says Gigi. “Dismantling the capitalist system is a necessary step to the progress of feminist goals.”

To her, the goals of feminism include “not just giving women equal rights, but also having men realize that women are equal to them as well.”

With Gigi’s story, she says she wants feminism to be taken seriously. Not simply for the ignorant boys in her class, but for the world to see feminism as more than just women supporting women. “People must see how overlooked aspects of society contribute to the disadvantage women hold in our world.”

Corrie, another teen who also found the pandemic affected her views on feminism, said that she started to consider herself a feminist around the 8th grade. She holds a quite different experience from Gigi. “COVID impacted feminism because during the pandemic, lots of movements and protests were going on, which allowed for women’s voices to also be heard and thus, sparked a rebirth in feminism, as well,” she remarked. “The rise of BLM caused feminists to reshape their beliefs by now putting women of color into consideration and understanding the inequality among feminism between white women and women of color.”

Yet, the problem Corrie faces with feminism is the negotiation between

her conservative religious views and those of feminism. Being a pro-life feminist, Corrie defends her stance saying, “holding conservative, traditional beliefs [pro-life] while being a feminist is okay because an individual has the right to believe in what they want to believe in.”

Rory is a self identified intersectional teen feminist who defines feminism “as equality of all genders.” She explained that “every gender does have issues that it goes through.” Rory often brought up how her being a cis woman affects her views of feminism. “A big part of being a feminist is being an ally to people who aren’t cis.”

Rory also brings in her identity when it comes to her feminist beliefs, citing her Jewish and mixed race ethnicity.

She brought up anti-Semitism that occurred within the Women’s March organization. In 2017 and 2018 Rory attended the women’s rights marches.

However, after anti-Semitism was revelead in the organization, she ended up boycotting the march. Rory cites this experience saying it “really made me realize that a lot of anti-Semitism has been swept under the rug.” Rory also brought up how her mixed race identity affected her feminist beliefs. Rory said, “Being a mixed race person and a feminist is difficult. For instance, people like Susan B. Anthony, an iconic feminist, were extremely racist. They saw white women above black men.”

Rory also cited how an access to social media drastically changed this generation of feminists. When asked whether social media has made her generation more effective feminists, Rory did not hesitate in answering yes. She said that the Internet has allowed her to start “reading [the work of] people like Audre Lorde, or Angela Davis who has helped me look beyond the mainstream, and has kind of radicalized me a little bit, as my dad would say.”

ART BY KELSEA PETERSEN

ACTIVISM

21

opinion

We are Living Through a Liberal Revolution

BY DON SMITH

I

n the past few years, think about some of the largest movements and protests: BLM, March for Our Lives, or My Body, My Choice. These are all extremely impactful and well-publicized movements. These initiatives all have a broad array of goals and themes, but one thing links them all together. They are dominated by the left-wing.

Liberal activism dominates the news cycle, but for a good reason. These organizations pull in millions of dollars in funding and mobilize masses to support their causes. They change facets of our daily lives, affect our businesses, and influence our laws. Because of all this, one would be led to believe that conservative or right-wing activism is non-existent, or at the least is ineffective. But why? Most people, no matter their political persuasion, understand

that the media is biased, so it is not surprising that they would put an ideological spin on certain movements. For example, the pro-life protest, March for Life, consistently has more people participating in it than the Women’s Rights March, but only the Women’s Rights March gets consistent media coverage. Donald Trump’s rallies drew in hundreds of thousands of people to towns across the country, but they too were barely covered by anyone except Fox News.

The only time the media tends to cover these events are when they are negative. The misrepresentation of the Capital Riots, the negative portrayal of the Trucker Protests, and the misinterpretation of Florida’s HB 1557 Bill as a Don’t Say Gay Bill are all examples of it.

Another reason activism from the

right could be considered less effective is that conservative ideas are just too conservative now. These ideas in the past used to be considered the status quo, but recently, more revolutionary ideas have been gaining traction. People want change, but when conservative values are seen as outdated, they begin to lose support even if it isn’t true.

Left wing ideas aren’t just left wing ideas; they are revolutionary ideas.

They are new and bold. They are supported by the elite, large corporations, and the media. Just like the conservative revolution of the Reagan era, the contemporary liberal revolution is sweeping the nation.

ACTIVISM

22

Solving Afghanistan’s Other Crisis

BY MICHAEL SHAPIRO AND SAYED NABIZADA

S

even years ago in the bedroom of a Kabul home, 8-year-old Sayed noticed a strange phenomenon - many people around him were dying. Despite the volatile state of Afghanistan during this time, these were not violent deaths. As a matter of fact, they were caused by a process not unique to Afghanistan - climate change.

Annually, the WHO finds that over a quarter of Afghan deaths are attributed to environmental concerns, the most in the world.

Afghanistan receives considerable pollution from neighboring countries like India and China. This, plus global warming, has resulted in Afghanistan experiencing its worst droughts in decades. These droughts have put Afghanistan - a country whose volatile state has been regularly reported on in western media over the last 20 years - in a much worse place than armed conflict alone can put it.

They have caused Afghanistan, a largely rural country where the majority live off of their land, to face mass food insecurity. With the majority of Afghans facing food insecurity and almost a third of those facing famine, the health of many is in a volatile state. While some people lose their lives to the droughts, others face economic crisis. The IRC finds that 97% of Afghans are in need of food assistance, a statistic exacerbated by the droughts and the current neglect of the environmental situation.

Aside from famine, climate change has also brought about the disease. Notably, the droughts have caused a substantial decline in water quality, allowing dangerous diseases to thrive in the water supply, infecting people. In Kabul, 70% of the population does not have access to clean drinking water. Other pollutants are especially pronounced in urban centers such as Kabul. Notably, air pollution in Afghanistan has been found to lead to dangerous and potentially fa-

tal diseases like lung cancer. The air pollution is even so dangerous that the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers warns against travel to Afghanistan - not for security concerns - but for air quality concerns.

With the environment of Afghanistan in a dire state that seems to only be getting worse, it may seem like a situation that can foster hopelessness.

However, young Afghans such as Sayed Nabizada, an Afghan living in Maryland since the fall of 2021, hope that by spreading environmental awareness not only in Maryland but internationally, there may be a simultaneous decrease in climate change and an increase of hope in his home country.

Sayed believes that “in order to solve climate change challenges, we have to get the people informed. That’s why, while I was living in Afghanistan, we, a group of high schoolers working in conjunction with the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), found we were most successful when traveling across the country, working on the ground. By surveying civilians struggling to get information from people in remote and insecure areas, and giving those voices a platform, we felt that if more voices were heard a genuine response of change would be more likely.”

However, given Afghanistan’s politically volatile nature, there were security concerns that came along with trying to change the environmental situation.

Because of this, activists were worried about their safety. Sayed recalls that ‘’although indirect, there were many

concerns in the last two or three years.

A volatile political climate with assassinations and bombings started a psychological war, making people scared to speak out due to the looming threat.

Nevertheless, as a member of society, I continued to try to make people aware.”

Sayed has been involved in environmental activism since he was 12. Although climate change was an apparent issue back then, as it is now, many were unaware. Feeling compelled to change that, Sayed started his activism by individually publicizing the climate change issue. He has come a long way since, moving his efforts to a grander stage.

Sayed has looked towards more collaborative efforts, first working with his classmates in conjunction with the ICRC, then discussing environmental solutions with groups ranging from college students to embassies, NGOs, and even the United Nations. These conversations have been paying off, and real influence has been felt. In March, Sayed, a freshman at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, co-paneled a discussion on Carbon Emissions and Fossil Fuels with former United States Vice President Al Gore.

Now residing in America and not Afghanistan, Sayed has focused his climate change efforts towards his new community. He hopes his continued efforts to fight climate change will foster further conversation and intervention in both Afghanistan and the United States. .

PHOTO OF SAYED NABIZADA WITH FORMER US VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE

opinion

ACTIVISM

Yo momma’s Tesla ain’t gonna save the planet

BY ANDREW LEBOWITZ lectric vehicles (EVs for short) are becoming more and more prevalent. Industry moguls preach sustainability and claim to offer a greener alternative to the traditional gaspowered car. Slick and smooth, Teslas move gracefully through the streets, exuding a climate-friendly appeal. In a nation where around 20% of the power generated is renewable, EVs such as Teslas have but a slightly smaller carbon footprint than gas vehicles.

Electric cars do not directly emit carbon dioxide when running. However, the electricity harnessed to power it is a product of carbon emissions. Thus, the effectiveness of electric cars and alleviating the atmosphere is dependent on the state of the electrical grid.

This is a step in the right direction, but EVs still pollute the atmosphere like gas-powered cars. Until the electrical grid goes renewable, EVs will not have a noticeable impact on the total carbon emissions stemming from the transportation sector.

Battery requirements of EVs threaten the human health and safety of disadvantaged communities. The stan-

dard electric car battery has caused a massive spike in demand worldwide for environmentally harmful metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

These elements have already been exploited globally, and do not have abundant supplies. Mining for lithium, the main component in these batteries, requires a significant amount of water.

Over half of the world’s lithium supply is located in the “lithium triangle,” a southwestern region of South America including Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

This region also happens to be one of the driest areas on Earth.

Already struggling farmers and civilians in this territory will continue to be impacted by an ever-increasing water shortage fueled by lithium mining.

Cobalt is another key element of EV batteries. The ground of the Democratic Republic of Congo is practically made of cobalt, as the DRC accounts for over half the world’s supply. Child labor is noticeably present in this nation and throughout the lithium triangle. Additionally, mining for cobalt is extremely toxic to human health, as the inhalation of cobalt dust has been

linked to pneumoconiosis, a fatal lung condition. In the DRC, most miners do not wear gloves, exposing themselves to contact dermatitis.

Do not get it twisted: electric vehicles are the future. EVs provide an incentive to produce clean energy, and can significantly reduce our oil dependency. Events such as the Ukraine invasion prove why this is good; we won’t have to wake up in the morning wondering if we are going to see an Exxon sign of $6 for a gallon of gas. However, even with these benefits, we still need to consider the flaws of the current electric vehicle and harmful metals required to produce their batteries.

EVs are exciting and futuristic, but several amendments in design and materials will need to occur for a practical takeover of the transportation market.

The electrical grid is still far from being renewable, so there is no need to rush this push for EVs with the inadequacies that remain. As we move into the future, assumed to be taken over by EVs, we must evaluate the true impact of these cars before we commit fully to the electric solution.

ART BY KELSEA PETERSEN

E

23

24

ART BY KELSEA PETERSEN

25 ACTIVISM

Testifying for Change

BY HIMANSHU GEDIYA

“I

t’s 1:00 pm on the last day of the semester, you only have one hour left!” I thought to myself, frantically typing up my last English assignments of the semester. Despite everything going on in this crazy world, making up these procrastinated assignments are the only thing on my mind. At least for now, an interruption would be the last thing I needed.

Then, “buzz,” the intercom went off, and sure enough I was interrupted. Especially now, the last thing I care about is some lucky person getting to go home early. There is nothing I wanted more than to go home as soon as possible. Although I planned to ignore the announcement, I heard my normally calm principal panting.

Startled, I tuned in. “We are going into a lockdown procedure right now. Close all doors. Teachers do a hall sweep, and follow lockdown procedures,” remarked my principal in a manner so dramatic it was almost convincing. “Oh great, a dramatic lockdown drill. The last thing I need right now”, I thought to myself, sighing.

Reluctantly, we transitioned into lockdown procedure and were told to stop all work. I sat on my phone for the next 15 minutes trying to type away at my essay, until a text message popped up on my screen from a friend at another school. “Himanshu, I heard there was a shooting that happened at Magruder.” My heart sank. The panicked principal, the longer than usual lockdown drill procedure. It all started to make sense. Any doubt in my mind was quickly diminished by the emerging police sirens, blaring closer and

closer.

Four hours, a semester change, a dramatic live stream, countless concerned text messages, and a shot classmate later, I finally made it home. Walking out of the building was one of the best and worst feelings I had ever experienced.

At that moment, I knew something needed to change to prevent incidents like this from happening again.

Although it was a big deal for me, this was not MCPS’ first violent incident. Violent incidents in MCPS had been on the rise since the school year began, with over 1,500 calls to 911 in the first four months of the school year.

Whether it be a student being stabbed at Blair, or a security guard being assaulted at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, MCPS’ violence epidemic had become apparent.

Many have attributed this sharp spike in violence to the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on youth, and the subsequent mental health crisis.

In light of law-enforcement related protests in 2020, MCPS opted to remove SROs in an effort to appropriately meet student’s needs. Yet, the removal of SRO’s was not executed properly.

The decision felt rushed. The promise of mental health resources replacing police presence has not materialized.

And, as a result, we do not feel safer.

Policy-makers do not feel the brunt of their policy. We do.

Students need a say in decisions that impact their lives.

Recognizing this, the very next day, after seeing the impact of the incident on my community, I made the decision to testify to the Montgomery County

Board of Education.

I had previously testified to the Board of Education regarding mental health resources, and I felt that this was an avenue I could take to try to create change. I promptly went to my computer and enrolled for the next available testimony time slot.

In the coming days, I tirelessly prepared my testimony; whether it was researching statistics, conversing with school counselors, administration, security, teachers, and peers, or arranging a group discussion on the matter, I tried to make sure I could be as representative of the Magruder community, and larger MCPS student community, as possible.

Post-testimony, I realized more could be done. I then proceeded to arrange to come back to testify bigger and better, with eight peers accompanying me. Given our strength in numbers, we were able to express our views more thoroughly and properly represent MCPS students. Finally, I felt as though student concerns of the issues impacting them could finally be heard.

Moving forward, as our community continues to heal, it is important to continue to ensure that student voices are heard. Whether one agrees or disagrees on an issue, including the SRO situation and mental health crisis is besides the point. Rather it is the platforming of voices of genuine concern from students on both sides of the issue that will move us forward that will create a more just school system, and community as a whole.

26

ACTIVISM

Burnt Out opinion

BY NEHA KOHLI

F

rom Youth For Equity (YFE) to Montgomery County’s Regional Student Government Association (MCR-SGA), activism and advocacy is an integral part of many students’ high school experiences. Through it, we are given opportunities to engage in various conversations on a wide range of topics. After the 2020 surge of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the education system shifting to virtual learning, many students entered this field.

MCR-SGA participation soared in 2021, and at the beginning of this year, more students than ever before were accepted onto the executive board.

However, this promising start seemed to dip rapidly. We watched the number of participants on Zoom calls drop sharply. Even though leaders in this field desperately attempted to garner more interest, many students were facing challenges that simply prevented them from giving their all into activism anymore.

The activism and advocacy that countless educators and students poured their energy into to remove School Resource Officers are in great danger of being erased as MCPS has started to place police back in schools due to the uptick in violence, including the on-campus assault of a B-CC security guard and the shooting in a Magruder High School bathroom.

However, it is important to look at the root causes of the increase in violence. It is a decline in mental health that is both responsible for the surge in violence and for the dip in advocacy.

Students and educators are both experiencing high levels of burnout and the effects are seeping into our school environment.

Student leaders, while often put on a pedestal, are not immune to the struggles of mental health that most high schoolers experience. I am seeing increased anxiety and depression amongst my friends in the activism community.

I am watching my friends struggle with experiences ranging from selfharm to eating disorders, and feel powerless to find the resources to pull them through this difficult time. When you or a friend are struggling with severe mental health problems, it is harder to care about the upcoming zoom meeting on anti-racism or the next board meeting to advocate for change.

Many times student leaders feel an extra layer of pressure to project perfection and maturity. We do not want anyone to know of our struggles, because we feel that this would convey weakness or a lack of preparedness for participation in advocacy.

Many times, we are expected to act and conduct ourselves as adults, yet are facing the same challenges as our peers. It is difficult to balance the emotions and stressors that come with being a high school student with the expectations placed on us by the advocacy community. There are times when missing a meeting becomes unforgivable.

Juggling events and panels with homework and extracurriculars can sometimes feel impossible. Many student leaders avoid burdening others with their struggles as they feel a sense of responsibility towards helping others. This leaves many MCPS students suffering in silence.

In the end, the solution really must come from those with the power to change the system. Advocacy is an im-

portant part of driving culture shifts and policy change, but the adults who truly hold control must support our student population. It cannot be up to 16 year olds (even if they volunteer themselves for the responsibility) to bring mental health support to our community.

We saw the detrimental effects this had on our own Student Member of the Board, when she shared her experience with cyberbullying after discussing her opinion on the mask mandate at a board meeting. “That was not good for my mental well-being and was not helping me be a productive member of the board,” she told WUSA9. “I’m always open to constructive criticism and hearing from people who disagree with me. But when it comes to the towards a brighter future for all. point where you’re attacking my identity, and asking me to harm myself, that’s where I draw the line.”

Our nation’s youth is strong and resilient, but we have also faced countless struggles this past year, and the toll it has taken is becoming increasingly evident. If we are truly to help our struggling student population, we need more mental health professionals in school buildings on a daily basis. Providing this change in schools cannot be a burden placed solely on students and teachers alone.

Our focus to keep up with curriculum and manage personal lives means that we sometimes miss crucial signs displayed by struggling classmates.

We need professionals whose sole job is to solve our mounting mental health crisis. With a greater focus on mental health, I truly hope that our MCPS community will heal and we will work towards a brighter future for all.

HATE

29

I watched my country torn apart. Don’t let it happen here.

BY NAVEED AHMAD

A photo my friend took while fleeing Kabul, Afghanisan

O

n August 15th, rays of sun splashed my eyes, waking me up to a beautiful Maryland sunrise.

Nevertheless, I quickly brought myself back to the reality of Afghanistan, checking my Facebook feed for updates regarding the situation in my home country. That morning, my mom had made me pancakes, my favorite.

We were all seated together, eating breakfast, when I noticed that my dad seemed upset. I did not think anything of it, nor did I ask what was wrong; he worked from home and is a journalist, so it was not unusual for a journalist.

After breakfast, I went to my room and checked my phone. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I thought to myself I could not have read the message properly. I skimmed through all my messages and they were all the same. One of the messages, from my best friend, struck me especially; it read, “Kabul has fallen to the Taliban. I am so scared.”

I went to check the news and other social media platforms to see if it was true. Unfortunately, it was. Kabul was trending on social media. My heart skipped a beat and I immediately called my friend to ask what was going on.

He was so scared and even cried at the thought of what might happen to him and his family. I tried to calm him down by saying that everything would

be fine. I went out of my room to tell my family, but they already knew about it. It was then that I came to know the reason for my father’s dismay. He had gotten the news early in the morningdaytime in Kabul-but elected to keep the news to himself.

Maybe he did so hoping the news would end up being false. I cannot blame him. He has spent a couple of years working in various government, non-government, national, and international organizations and has huge hopes for the future of Afghanistan.

Not only that, but my father’s brothers, sisters, and close friends still live in Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s brutality continued as they tried to cement their grip on the city. Watching news footage of how people were running and crying to save their lives made me feel like it was the end of the world. The country was gripped by terror, and hearing that the government officials had fled the country was even worse.

I would recall those memories of myself enjoying Afghanistan and how things were normal just weeks before this tragedy. Day and night I thought about my relatives, not to mention all of the other innocent people. Everytime these two questions came to my mind: How are they feeling? What are they going to do?

When I watched the news, I saw thousands of people in the airport trying to flee the country to save their lives. Those who were lucky pushed themselves among the crowd and somehow managed to get onto an airplane. It was chaos in the airport; people spent days and nights just to get a chance to get onto a flight. In one instance, people were so frightened by the prospect of living under the Taliban that they clung to an airplane’s wing; when the plane took off, they all fell off and died.

A few days later, there was a bombing attack on the airport, killing hundreds of innocent people. The streams of Kabul, once blue and filled with water, were now red and filled with blood.

Though the collapse of the democratic system in Afghanistan affected me negatively, causing me unspeakable anguish, I am still optimistic about the future of my country.

I believe that throughout our history, Afghanistan has been through its ups and downs. I, as a teenager, have a lot of hopes for my country’s future. I am certain that one day the people of my country will wake up to a peaceful, bright morning, as I can in Maryland.

Rather than bad news or gunfire, they will be greeted by the sounds of birds chirping a happy hymn.

Naveed is currently a sophomore at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

HATE

30

De facto Segregation: not always visible but always toxic

BY MARIA BORDON & NANA OSEI-KUFFOUR

S

tudents of Color (SOC) at predominantly white schools often languish at the margins of social groups, advanced classes, and extracurricular activities.

Some argue this kind of marginalization comes down to choice and shouldn’t be regarded as a structural issue. Yet this exact scenario has a name: De facto segregation.

De facto segregation is segregation that is not dictated by the law yet instead by trends and lack of desire or effort to integrate.

De facto segregation can be a barrier for minority students when it comes to accessing resources, joining school events and taking higher-level

classes.

MCPS has experienced dramatic recent demographic shifts. In 2000, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) was predominantly white.

Two decade later, 2/3 of its 149,000 students identified as racial or ethnic minorities.

MCPS today: 32.4% Hispanic/Latino 26.9% White 21.4% Black 14.1% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 0.3% Native American Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other 4.9% of students are two or more races

MCPS rightfully celebrates its diversity; yet our schools are failing students of Color.

“

It was a big hit not being acknowledged. If you're wondering what it feels to not be acknowledged, think about being the only student of color in an IB class, in a graduating class of over 400 students”.

“

I don’t get along with the prideful B-CC students. The people who are prideful at B-CC overlook its problems. It has been a lonely experience.

Even though I have always been a part of a friend group, I have always felt different.”

“

Decades of systemic racism have left minority neighborhoods and their academic support structures weakened. Virtual learning during the pandemic only accelerated the problem.

Black and Hispanic students failed classes at rates 5 to 6 times higher than before the pandemic. White students saw an almost imperceptibe shift over the same period.

So what does de facto segregation look, sound, and feel like? We asked Students of Color at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. Here is some of what they had to say:

Social groups are exclusive but you can bump into somebody and have a short convo, but I made friends when I started a sports club, joining the football team really helped, but that's not the case for most sports clubs, I just got lucky.”

“

“

It [B-CC] is very segregated.

When it's not, there are a couple of minorities who are the tokens.”

I’m very much smart and yet I was often looked down upon especially in my freshman and sophomore year. I don't feel a part of it [B-CC] because the school lacks diversity. There aren't many people that look like me and I relate to. I've tried to reach out but because of my personality and the way I conduct myself, I feel like I'm perceived as too black for white kids and too white for black kids.”

News

Ready for the World to Shake spoken-word By Charlie Williams

A

ttention! Attention!

May I have your attention please.

They left us hanging, whether from a tree or from the shake of a hand.

Listen closely to the words I am about to say. Let’s talk about our history. The one others try so hard to forget.

It was almost like we were a disease that spread like wildfires over the coast of Cali.

They murdered our people for something so out of our control.

They held us back from being great, so when I talk loud, don’t silence me.

Like we were the cheese touch, what ignited so much fear within our youth.

But they were monsters.

With N words flying from their mouths like venom,

throwing us around like the asymmetrical rocks they once used to kill.

They still don’t seem to get it…

Get how we fought from the depths of hell with our hands behind our heads… knowing they were pointing the caliber towards the bright red targets placed on our backs, crying for dear life, but somehow they want me to act like they saved us?

Let's talk about how police were created to keep black people below, rocking brown uniforms resembling a skin color they seemed to despise.

Let’s talk about the people shot and killed for refusing to be manhandled by those who claim to protect us.

This is not a dig at the white community because I know not all are bad, but if you feel uncomfortable. Good.

Now you’ve felt a sliver of what black people have had to feel.

We accept and appreciate our allies, but don’t confuse the bare minimum for heroism.

Thank you to those who marched and gave me the right to vote. Thank you to those who allowed themselves to be held captive in a jail cell so that I can walk the streets freely.

Thank you for being the hero.

As the black youth it is our turn to be the change.

It is our turn to make a difference.

When we get loud, don’t silence us.

When we raise a hand, don’t leave us hanging. And when we put our foot down, be ready for the world to shake.

Photo By Johanna Krejza

This story originally appeared in the March 2022 B-CC Tattler

32

HATE

MCPS: The Fall of Violence followed by a fall in violence

BY ELYAS LAUBACH

2

021 brought with it the return of students in MCPS to in-person learning. There were several incidents of hate and violence in our school system shortly after the return to in-person school. The most notable incidents of violence occurred at Magruder High School, where a student was assaulted and shot in a school bathroom, and at Blair High School, where a student was stabbed in the head. Follow ing these incidents, as well as an online bomb threat, the security presence increased in MCPS. However, since the shooting at Magruder on January 21, there have been significantly fewer acts of violence. Many questions remain unanswered. Why did we see a jump in violence after students returned to school? And why have these violent acts seemingly abated?

Before we get into why violence has returned to relatively normal levels in MCPS, we have to look at what may have caused it to increase in the first place. An important piece of context is necessary to examine this trend. The coronavirus pandemic created huge problems, ranging from disrupted schooling and the tragic public health situation, to economic struggles and high unemployment. Even before many places in the US issued stay-athome orders and before the number of confirmed infections skyrocketed, there was a massive decrease in reported rates for almost all types of crime. In the months after initial lockdowns, as our society adjusted to the new normal and many cities started to ease restrictions, crime rates in the U.S. did not revert to the patterns of previous years; something had changed. However, the impact has varied by type of crime, and there have been notable exceptions. Overall crime rates are lower than they have been in past years, but more violent crimes (homicides and shootings) are much higher than usual. What we know about crime during the

pandemic is that overall, crime fell 23% in the first month of the COVID lockdown and has stayed lower than usual since. The overall drop in crime corresponds with a drop in the U.S. population’s mobility. Stay-at-home orders and business closures meant that peo ple were not driving, shopping, or walking around on the streets as much as they normally were. Data from the FBI shows the number of homicides in the U.S. rose about 30% in 2020 from the year before, although the homicide rate is still lower than it was in the 1990s. Home burglaries dropped, while commercial burglaries and car thefts rose. The discrepancy in types of burglaries suggests that the population’s reduced mobility had a significant effect on the types of crime people committed. When the pandemic hit, people began spending their entire days at home; the residential burglary rate fell by 24%. This drop in mobility also resulted in fewer people in public spaces, less surveillance of non-residential buildings and a resulting 38% increase in burglaries across the US. So why did violent crime increase during the pandemic? Experts have been making the case for years that keeping communities safe depends on the availability of resources that keep communities stable. Namely: affordable housing, quality education, mental health resources, consistent food access, child care, etc. The pandemic reduced or eliminated access to all of these. A key factor that has been neglected for too long, especially in light of recent events in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, is gun control. If guns were not so easy to buy, there would be fewer cases where a violent outburst reaches the level of a mass shooting. That’s how many criminologists explained why violent crime increased everywhere during Covid-19, even if the situation was most acute in low-income communities where these problems already existed. Even

Montgomery County, the most affluent county in the state of Maryland, was not spared these issues. A lack of food access, social isolation leading to mental health challenges, a drop in education, and high unemployment were seen throughout the county.

However, this does not answer the question of why violence continued trending upwards--at least in MCPS-after students returned to normal schooling. With the quality of instruction back to pre-pandemic levels and students’ social lives also beginning to look more like they used to, this time should have relieved stress, resulting in a happier student body and less violence. Obviously, this was not the case. Teachers, not only in MCPS but across the country, reported having to break up fights, and are raising concerns about their own safety. Students have been caught with guns or other weapons on campuses in several highprofile incidents. And school shootings in 2021 surpassed their pre-pandemic high. More worrisome for students, experts say, is the social isolation caused by the pandemic. Isolation is among the risk factors for students who commit violent acts in schools, the Department of Homeland Security warned in May 2021. The agency noted that the pandemic also denied many students access to mental health professionals and put financial strains on many families. “The reduced access to services coupled with the exposure to additional risk factors suggests schools--and the communities in which they are located--will need to increase support services to help students adjust to in-person learning as they cope with the potential trauma associated with the pandemic response,” read a Homeland Security bulletin.

The toxic stress of everything going on during the pandemic built up with kids and adults. After returning to school, students had to relearn how to be around each other, handle their

HATE

emotions in a much more stimulating environment than their bedroom, and complete school work on time-- the relaxed due date policy that teachers used during the pandemic has ended for the most part. Teachers and even some students say the level of disturbance this fall has gone far beyond years past. In some cases, students are unaccustomed to following the rules that govern a school building.

They don’t grasp the expectations for their ages because the last time

many of them were in school was two grades ago. There is no national data on less-serious instances of violence in schools, but teachers and school administrators across the country say they are seeing a rise in everything from minor misbehaviors to fighting in the hallways.

Since the Magruder shooting, we have seen a clear drop in violent incidents in MCPS. This decrease appears to have been caused by a multitude of factors. Students seem to have finally

33

adjusted to in-person schooling and by now are better able to cope with the accompanying stressors than they were in the first semester. Another reason could be that this violence has brought school communities closer together, eliminating the negative feelings that cause students to lash out. Perhaps the end of winter and beginning of warmer weather has improved the mental health of students, leading to more amicable relations between them. A last possible explanation, or at least factor, is the increased police presence. The violence in MCPS buildings has meant the return of police officers to schools, which comes as a blow to opponents of SROs, who in the summer of 2021 won a landmark victory with the removal of student resource officers.

But it seems as though there is a correlation between an increased police presence and less violence. It remains to be seen whether this is causation, or really just correlation. No matter the reason, the end of the frightening and troubling spike has been received

by MCPS with great relief, but skepticism. Only time will tell whether the past few months have been a mere break in the upwards trend of hate and violence in schools, or whether they are an indicator that the resocialization of students--and adherence to school rules--has occurred.

Student analysis

BY GABE GEBREKRISTOSE With Bill 46-20 passing in a landslide, and countless instances of the county reassuring that hate will not be tolerated and condemning violence in schools, it is clear what county authorities think about hate and Student Resource Officers (SROs) in our county.

But what do students think?

On March 31st, we opened a Google Form and collected answers from over 50 students in our county, asking them to answer six questions about major MCPS hate incidents and SROs. When we closed the form on April 7th, we were unable to find a student con-

sensus relating to hate in MCPS. Yet, the greater takeaway is that discussion around hate in our schools needs to happen more often. 48% of the 56 students believe that restorative justice and community circles were at the heart of decreasing the frequency of major hate incidents.

In fact, 67.9% of sampled students weren’t even aware of how many major hate incidents occurred in the first semester of this school year. 50% of sampled students believe that political polarization was the primary cause of hate incidents in our county. 51% of

sampled students were not sure if the removal of SROs correlated to the increase in major hate incidents, yet 41% of sampled students do not want SROs to be reinstated.

While The Amplifier did not include data from previous surveys that MCPS may have conducted on this topic, we can safely guess that the answers we have collected right now look completely different from the answers we would have gotten if we had done the poll in October 2021.

34 HATE

opinion

The Reality of American Gun Violence

BY AARON TIAO

O

of tone in the news these past couple of days.

For the next two weeks, we will remember that a teenager can legally buy an AR-15 before they can drink alcohol. We will remember the names of the victims. We will remember what happened in Buffalo. We will remember the headlines in the news. And we will remember everyone offering their thoughts and prayers.

But is that where it will end? Will the lives of the children and families in Texas be memories and just that? Will the cycle of the mass shooting, breaking news, thoughts and prayers, and moving on simply continue? Will there

just be another moment of silence like every single mass shooting we have had in the past two decades? Or, will this be an opportunity where our country can re-evaluate and change so more children do not perish?

Honestly, as much as I would like to say we can and should look to our country’s leaders for hope, I don’t know if I believe that will do anything.

We’ve been through this exact scenario before, and at the end of the day, it comes down to elected officials deciding whether to prioritize children’s lives or the NRA’s campaign contributions.

ART BY KELSEA PETERSON

n May 24th, 2022, an 18-yearold took an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 children and two adults. It marked the deadliest school shooting in the United States since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. Ten days earlier, another 18-year-old, in Buffalo, New York opened fire in a grocery store, fueled by white supremacist ideology, hate, and bigotry. In total, there have been over 200 mass shootings this year alone.

At the start of this spread, we wrote an article highlighting the decrease in violence in Montgomery County and the United States. After observing how the spike of violence in schools settled down over the year, we attributed this increase in hate incidents and violence early on to the process of returning to normalcy after the pandemic.

But as the pandemic seemingly is calming down and people are returning to normal life, we must remember that while problems regarding the transition from the pandemic to normalcy may be dying down, the problems that persisted before the pandemic are still alive.

In a year that can only be characterized as unpredictable, amidst news cycles that move on to the next event within seconds, and attention spans that get shorter every day, we forget.

We forget that little to no police reform was made after the murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. We forget that voter registration laws were passed-with no foundation--to suppress the minority vote.

In this situation, we forget that gun violence in the US reaches higher levels each year. We forget that the NRA has a chokehold on the GOP. We forget that gun control laws are appallingly loose.

We forget that we go through the same grieving process every year, to no avail.

It is the reason why there is a change

35 HATE

opinion

Dont Use The R’-Word BY: ANONYMOUS

A

lmost every day at school, I come across a group of people laughing about something they think is dumb, expressing that whatever they were just talking about is “retarded.” I am autistic, and I find that word extremely offensive.

That word plays into the systemic ableism ingrained within our society, yet nobody talks about it. So I will.

That word treats autistic people like they are small children, incapable of forming and expressing their thoughts and emotions.

It encourages ableist behavior such as demeaning slow-talking: as if our disability lies in our ears instead of our brains. Who could forget the grimacing when an autistic person begins to Note: I am one Autistic person, and I am one Autistic woman.

I speak only for myself and my experiences. I do not intend to speak for anyone else.

ART BY CLAIRE WANG

stim? You know, the “Do they have to do that now?” coming out of the mouth of the thoroughly entertained starer.

The word “retarded” has a long history of dismissing and dehumanizing mentally disabled people.

The word itself stems from the preconceived notion of mentally disabled people being exceptionally dumb. That is ironic because the majority of autistic and other mentally disabled people I know are quite smart. It is very harmful to anyone to assume that they are intellectually incapable; mentally disabled people are no exception.

It does not take a genius of any kind to figure out that such a message directed at a historically marginalized

group is incredibly offensive.

I was always put off and offended by the r-word, even years before my diagnosis. I knew autistic people. Chances are, you know some as well. Autistic people are everywhere, and it is in the best interest of neurotypicals (non-autistic people) to accommodate us.

Try to accept us for who we are, and maybe even let us talk about our special interest with you one too many times. Most importantly, do not be an ableist. On behalf of one autistic person and one only, please think about the reputation of the word “retarded” before you use it. Just say stupid instead.

36

HATE

The Rise in Asian Hate BY: JORGE HERERA, RILEY NEE, AND RAHMA WADOOD With an increase of 339% in 2021, it would be a blatant lie to say Asian related hate crimes have not skyrocketed.

Locally, this holds true; discrimination has evoked a sense of hostility and toxicity among our student population.

Montgomery County, despite being the most diverse county in the state of Maryland, is troubled with prejudice within our own community. The dramatic increase in Asian hate is most notably attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The words of former President Donald Trump heightened the xenophobia and racism toward Asians; his referral to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and the “Kung flu” among various Anti-Asian tweets have been largely regarded as one of the bigger factors towards the rise in Anti-Asian crimes. Of all major US cities, D.C. sees the most hate crimes reported by police - 22 cases per 100K people.

Seeing news channels report on violent acts against the Asian-American community is nothing new. Back in March of 2021, six Asian women were targeted and killed in a spa in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, there are several incidents of Asian Americans being shoved onto subway tracks and killed, and there was an assault on an Asian family near the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. This April, Arvin Kim, a junior at Walt Whitman High School, was elected to be the 45th Student Member of the Board in Montgomery County. As an Asian-American candidate, Arvin faced discrimination during the four months of his campaign; Arvin de scribes “hateful messages sent online, or comments that [he] hears shouted at [him] as [he] traveled across the county,” meeting students at their respective schools. He depicts a scenario that many can imagine other students ex-

periencing - Arvin says in an interview, “Asian Americans across the nation and in our community are definitely aware of [the increase in hate crimes].

As an Asian American myself, it takes a toll on you to read and see in the news the instances that arise; see how things around you might be affected by an increase in hate.” However, the rise in hateful occurrences has not deterred Arvin in the slightest. Using his elected position as a catalyst for change is one of his priorities in his upcoming term.

Among his current advocacy, which include working alongside the Asian American Progressive Student Union to increase inclusivity of AAPI history in curricula, Arvin intends to bring up ways that Asian representation can be implemented into the Board of Education, saying, “In a county as large and diverse as [MCPS], all perspectives should be heard by the Board [of Education] - Asian American students included.” As Arvin illustrated, across the county, students are advocating for representation of Asian American students to counteract the stream of recent hate.

Although students may not see representation in school curricula, they may be able to see representation through their teachers. Ms. Gu, a teacher at B-CC, mentions she has had an “overall positive” experience in the county and has “not received hate” from any staff or student. She asserts that B-CC has “done a great job recognizing there is a problem and [has] done things to fix that.” It is evident that B-CC, students and teachers alike, have done well to make her feel at home in this community. A sharp contrast to neighboring communities, Ms. Gu expresses that in concern for her safety she “tries to avoid certain areas, like D.C.”.

Ting Ting Li is another junior, and founder of the Asian Advocates at B-CC. Her advocacy work was initially inspired by “the rise of anti-asian hate crime, and no one addressing it.” TingTing has contributed to making safe spaces for her Asian peers, an environment where they can “be themselves.”

Along with the class of ’23 SGA, she has helped inform through town halls, and create new elective courses that dive deeper into the history and culture of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American communities, so students see themselves represented.

There’s still substantial changes to be made, and Ting Ting describes her own experience with racism, receiving and witnessing, in our school community. “Microaggressions… are more subtle [to the point] where one [student] might not even know they are using a microaggression,” she says. “AntiAsian hate isn’t anything new, but has only recently received the necessary attention, acknowledgement, and action to fight against it.” However, other times it is not subtle at all. Just this past fall, students from Albert Einstein High School received racist comments from Sherwood students during two separate athletic events. The altercations involved slurs toward Asian students and sexist remarks.

It would be naive to say that AntiAsian racism isn’t common when students are being targeted and harassed right within our county. Instances such as this remind us that even in our own community, with a diverse body and range of identity, we have work to do in promoting acceptance and safe learning spaces - changes to implement so that the entirety of our students feel respected and have a sense of belonging in MCPS.

ART BY OLIVIA ROMANO AND CARMEN TORRECILLA

37 HATE

39 HATE

The Myth of the Model Minority

BY VALERIE HOANG

T

he American perspective on Asian Americans has changed drastically. 140 years ago, Chinese immigrants were restricted from migrating to the United States under the Chinese Exclusion Act. Today, Asian Americans are portrayed as a universally successful group: the “model minority.”

While the latter perspective may seem positive, the model minority myth is rooted in racism and stereotypes. As a child, the stereotypes placed on me took a while to sink in.

The first instance I can remember was when a classmate said to me in middle school, “Aren’t you Asian? You should be good at math.”

Though a joke, it highlights the underlying stereotypical ideas that people harbor: Asian American students are often expected to do well in class.

Only recently, I was watching a documentary in class where the interviewee stated something along the lines of “when an Asian student walks into my classroom, I know they will be a good student.”

Due to this stereotype, there is pressure placed on Asian American students to do well, contributing to a highly competitive environment which forces Asian students to wonder: “If everyone in my demographic is successful, how do I make myself stand out?” “How do I become ac-

knowledged for any traits other than academics?”

Such pressure is worsened when added up with the conventional pressures that a student’s parents or peers may put on them.

When success is the perceived standard of a population, there is the idea that falling behind means letting down those around you. While these pressures may not be true for all Asian Americans, it is not an unfamiliar concept.

The model minority myth is not only harmful to Asian Americans - it perpetuates the racist idea that other minority groups are unsatisfactory.

There is the idea that if Asian Americans are able to “make it” and overcome racism, then other minority groups should be able to do so as well - such a tactic is used to downplay the struggles of other minorities.

Likening the racism against Asians to the racism against other groups is wildly inaccurate; for example, Asian Americans have not experienced the systemic racism that Black people have faced for centuries in this country. It’s unrealistic, and racist, to assume that because some Asian Americans are able to succeed and achieve the “American Dream,” other groups are just being lazy.

This assumption also overlooks the fact that Asians have the largest

range of income in the United States, and although income is not necessarily an indication of success. In the eyes of those who amplify the model minority myth and continue to categorize minorities, it is.

Furthermore, many people who attribute success to Asian Americans only apply it to East Asians, ignoring the diversity among Asian Americans in America.

This failure to recognize the various different groups among Asian Americans takes away the unique differences that define each culture, in turn resulting in division within the Asian community, and furthering the idea that to one’s peers, they may not seem “Asian” enough if they do not fit the stereotypical image.

While this stereotypical image that Americans have constructed for Asians may be considered positive since it aligns with success and obedience, its foundations in racism and the need to categorize minorities and populations they think less of displays the fact that the idea of a model minority is not rooted in logic, but myth. Placing such labels on young students, who are facing pressure from their peers, academics, and life at home, harms their mental well-being and creates an inequitable school environment.

40

HATE

The Toxicity of Teen Political Discourse

BY TREVOR O. BURRUSS-TAMBAJANG

“I

wake up filled with rage thinking of Black people and Jews.”

Blau, 17, reevaluated his political ideology throughout the pandemic and arrived at one antithetical to the liberal sentiments shared amongst his peers. In June, he began immersing himself in right-wing punditry, following the likes of Alex Jones and Nicholas Fuentes.

He now frequents internet forums that align with his newfound conservatism, such as 4chan’s politically incorrect board /pol/, which serves as an oasis for politically motivated rhetoric and memes. “I hate all news everywhere, so I get my news from a small group of internet racists online,” Blau said. 52% of American adults prefer to get their news from digital platforms, so this notion is not unfounded. The isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated criticism and rejection of the status quo, leading to self-reflection, indoctrination, and borderline radicalization into communities with less than palatable beliefs.

“I do not hate Democrats; they are empathetic people who think they’re doing the right thing. I hate the evil pedophile billionaire elites with penchants for small hats,” Blau says. Polarization leaves those on both sides of the aisle feeling dejected, driving them to their haven community of choice.

61% of adolescents state they feel “serious loneliness,” a percentage which drastically increased during lockdown, further shepherding young folks into communities that may not have their best interests at heart. After the election of Donald Trump, a rebranding of conservative ideology occurred, blurring the line between the familiar right-wing thought and fringe authoritarian or ethnonational sentiments.

The internet’s anonymity exacerbates this notion, considering the prevalence of subtle methods of spreading opinions via memes and trolling, backed up by plausible deniability.

Widespread misinformation, intentional or otherwise, indiscriminate of party affiliation, furthers the creation of echo chambers, leaving ordinary folks vulnerable to be capitalized upon

by bad faith actors seeking profit and power. Problems arise due to lack of communication; all ideologies will become extreme if not presented and debated in the marketplace of ideas.

Conversations often occur in 280 characters or less, with reactions simply visceral, contributing to a fractured truth and national identity. “Political memes are one of the best ways of attracting people to a cause,” Blau says.

He is correct. After exposure to many consecutive unprecedented historical events, including the murder of George Floyd, COVID-19, the insurrection at the Capitol, and numerous others, the American public has become accustomed to the media bubble, which can easily be one-sided. This trauma has led many young people to, as a means of coping or coercion, utilize comedy, satire, and mockery to communicate in a less abrasive manner.

Blau “grew up on the internet,” so he is not easily offended or off-put by edgy or unsavory comments online, and his tolerance for adversity and backlash is strong. Blau is more conservative than those in his community and feels unrepresented and unheard by politicians on both sides of the aisle locally and nationally. “The Republican party are gay r******d shills owned by Israel and only marginally better than Democrats; (they are) socially liberal...as for the Democrats, they might as well be the ‘Demon-cratic party’ as they worship Satan,” Blau states. Blau is also quite religious, and being an Orthodox Christian, he does not use the term demon lightly.

Blau’s ideal candidate is “racist, really racist, resilient, someone who will not bow down to lobbyists, and who gets things done via executive order.”

Qualities he believes are not currently present in politics and will not be for the foreseeable future.

Regardless of political leaning, Blau’s main qualm with society and politics is shared by many. He believes those with wealth, authority, and power have overstepped their bounds and acquired an unjust amount of control over America in many instances. And though he believes those in power are “the pedophile billionaire elites with

penchants for small hats,” the sentiment still stands. “They don’t want you to think,” Blau says, “They just want you to believe what you’re told.” People feel lied to, and that revelation is at least disheartening and most destructive, be it broken political promises, the status of democracy at large, or the feeling that peers and politicians alike do not care about their stability, success, or safety.

Specifically, regarding COVID-19, Blau distrusts government recommendations and guidelines due to changing and evolving scientific protocols regarding the number of vaccinations required and vaccine efficacy.

Blau finds it imperative to understand the intentions behind every action to find the best solution. He thinks that if COVID-19 is as severe as scientists and politicians would have him believe, then someone should be held accountable for the physical and mental harm inflicted by the virus and social isolation. Since this information is unavailable, he distrusts all subsequent information regarding COVID-19. But most of all, Blau simply wants to talk.

He describes multiple instances in which friendships were ruined over political debates that have gone awry and devolved into ad hominem character assassinations. Romantic relationships have also been ruined over averseness to unfamiliar and uncomfortable topics by either partner. Blau also feels discriminated against frequently based on his race and gender.

He says that often, in academic settings, his perspective and lived experiences are typically interpreted as the privileged predisposition and thus less valued and respected in the classroom.

He has been threatened with expulsion on numerous occasions under the pretense that he makes community members feel unsafe and espouse hateful rhetoric. Yet, he attests that he has never made remarks or attacks on individuals at his high school based on an immutable characteristic and instead only criticizes systems and public figures. “If they would just talk to me, they would see I’m not that bad,” Blau says. So set the politics aside now and then, and love one another.

PHOTO BY MASON GOLDSTEIN

43

opinion

LUNCH

High Schools Should Open Lunch

BY CLAIRE LENKIN

O

pen lunch is a concept foreign to many MCPS high schoolers. At most of the high schools in Montgomery County, campus is closed for students during lunch. MCPS has a countywide policy allowing schools to make their own decision regarding open/ closed lunches, creating an unfair system where some schools lock up campus all day, and others do not.

Many MCPS high schools like Whitman, Churchill, and Wootton are all close to shopping and food centers, but have policies forcing their students to stay on campus during lunch.

However, even if a school is not near shopping centers or restaurants, it is still important to give students the freedom to leave campus to decompress and return to school mentally refreshed for their afternoon classes.

MCPS prides itself on preparing students for college through rigorous classes and a wide selection of AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment courses. While difficult classes have some resemblance to a college lifestyle, keeping students confined to the same building for seven hours does not. In college,

students are in charge of every decision they make throughout the day from what classes they take to what food they eat. While it is a given that high school does not have the same freedom as college, giving students the opportunity to have ownership of one part of their day is important to prepare them

for what’s to come.

Furthermore, students enjoy having an open lunch because it provides them with a chance to have fun during an otherwise boring and repetitive school day. Although students might not leave campus to eat every day, simply having the option can improve spirits. “I don’t usually go out for

lunch, but when I do, it’s always super fun.” B-CC freshman Phoebe Lewis said.

On the contrary, students whose schools do not let them go off campus find lunches unpleasant and restrictive. “Churchill only has open lunch for seniors, but I wish we had it for everyone since we are within walking distance of Cabin John”, Churchill sophomore Chloe Rutberg said.

“We are at school all day, so it would be nice to have a break in the middle where we could really get outside.”

While schools may worry about security on campus, their are solutions to hold students accountable. For example, they could implement a sign-out system to keep track of outgoing students. If a school worries that having an open campus will cause tardiness, they could use lunch detention or other consequences as a deterrence.

Allowing open lunch in all MCPS schools would be an effective way to reduce the stress of MCPS students. The sooner schools open their campuses, the sooner students might start enjoying their day more.

Art by Elizabeth Dorokhina

44

opinion

LUNCH

Posting College Admission Decisions: More Cons than Pros

BY JACK DOYLE

T

he senior class received their college admission letters between November and March, with students making their final decisions by May 1st.

Getting into college is a huge milestone in the lives of many students.

As a result, it is a common practice to congratulate friends when they make that decision. Obviously, this is the right thing to do, but when it comes to doing it publicly on social media platforms, many do not approve.

“I honestly don’t know where I want to go and it is something that is a big stress in my life. Seeing people posting over and over for others who got into college only stresses me out more. My

friends agree with me and feel the same way. Sure, it is nice to congratulate each other, but doing it on Instagram only makes others feel worse,” explained one senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

The stress when seeing these posts is something felt by a large portion of the senior class. Another B-CC High School senior stated, “I got denied from my dream school. Seeing others who were accepted on social media over and over crushed me.”

Posting for someone makes that one person happy, but it also really hurts many others and makes them feel bad about themselves.”

Furthermore, David Panner, another senior who has been struck with unfavorable decisions from some of his top choices, voiced, “It affects me very negatively... it is very hard to see people get into schools that I got deferred or denied from all over Instagram.”

Posting for those who have gotten accepted exacerbates the devastation from being rejected by a college. It is customary to congratulate your friends when they get into college, but doing so on public platforms like Instagram end up doing more harm than good.

45

Jakob Silver 2xsnakechamp@gmail.com (240)555-5555 May 27, 2022 Dear MCPS (Deptarment of Tech and No Fun), You thought that blocking CoolMathGames would be the final blow in your decade-old war against gaming during the school day? You thought wrong. Although our student body struggles to complete one-page math homework assignments without begging a friend to send a screenshot, we will persist in gaming during the school day no matter how many barriers you put in front of us.

As you continue to lay down your authoritarian restrictions, our solutions will be more creative and harder to disable. By attempting to disrupt school gaming, you are fueling a never ending war. You underestimate the stubbornness and creativity of Gen Z. To bypass your authoritarian WiFi restrictions, some students have resorted to using their personal hotspot or VPNs, while others play games through Google Sites. Every two months, we create a massive shared document with unblocked games - magically, even in the midst of quizzes and tests, there are always hundreds of colorful icons from students across the county in the top right corner of the shared Google Doc. After putting our most brilliant minds together, we even discovered an unblocked link for ShellShockers that most students had previously accepted as unreachable. Although the link was shut down within a couple of weeks, the two students who discovered the link have gained legendary status among their peers.

Today, the most popular game is Snake, not because it is the best game, but because you have not figured out how to block Google’s JavaScript yet. Once your department figures out how to properly use Google’s admin features, which you eventually will, we will continue to find new games and workarounds. We just want it more.

No matter the circumstances, how hard you try, or what you do to stop us, we will continue working together to squash you in this war. No matter what, we will not let your fire walls ruin our lives at school.

With warm regards, Jakob Silver A 2x Snake Champion

46 LUNCH

Confessions Of A School Tea Page

BY TATIANA DIOMI

This Is Just The Beginning Since middle school, school-related social media accounts have caught my eye.

Whether it was getting a glimpse at what staff members do outside of school or posting pictures at games, competitions, and other student activities, I was always intrigued. My friends and I would freak out if we saw that one of our teachers had a public account on Instagram or Twitter. To me, it didn’t seem weird, because I was being informed about my school by fellow students. Nowadays, these pages have gotten more creative. You have “slumped” pages, mask-fishing, anti-masker, best fit, best looks, and more. As much of a guilty pleasure as this can be, I started to wonder, who is held accountable for these posts?

The People V. The Creator When unfiltered and sensational content is released, we can easily be drawn in and end up lifelessly scrolling through the hottest and juiciest comedic tea. These accounts continue to grow until they are eventually noticed by school authorities, which usually means the removal of the account to avoid bad press. Usually, whenever an account receives backlash, the same question arises: who’s to blame? The answer: those who allow slander or malicious comments about their peers to run rampant.

First, let’s look into a follower’s perspective on how the toxicity of a page can be found entertaining.

Ari, a junior at James Hubert Blake High School, lists out his opinions on particular pages like these at his school.

Tatiana Diomi - “How do you feel about school tea pages?”

Ari - “I go to (James Hubert) Blake and our school tea pages were really entertaining at first. It all started with a ‘Blake No Maskers’ page. Then it was ‘Blake Food on the Floor,’ ‘Blake Eaters,’ ‘Blake Affirmations,’ ‘Blake Couples,’ ‘Blake Shortys.’ Now, there’s just a ‘Blake Confessions’ page. I think it’s interesting.

There’s been a predator senior who got exposed and was almost jumped. There are people trash-talking, and also people confessing their undying love on there.

To me, it’s all very entertaining and I like it, but I also haven’t been posted on there negatively, so I’m biased.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Have school tea pages escalated certain situations or facts about people?”

Ari - “Yes, for me, like I said earlier, there was a senior who would harass freshmen girls and he was called out on ‘Blake Confessions’ for all the stuff he would do or say to young girls. He almost got jumped and had to be escorted by security for a week to and from his bus. In a case like this, I think, personally, it’s good he’s being exposed because multiple people have gone to administration and he just got a slap on the wrist. At least now everyone knows him for his true colors.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Do school tea pages spread misinformation?”

Ari - “Rumors are always gonna be spread in school. It’s just the way high school works. I don’t see blatant misinformation about serious stuff. But rumors, all the time.”

Art by Sanjay Fernando

47 LUNCH

Tatiana Diomi - “Do school tea pages manage to be funny at most times?”

Ari - “YES. They were so funny. ‘Blake Girls Bathroom’ page, ‘Blake Airpods (people who wore AirPods in class),’ ‘Blake Phoners (people who used their phone in class),’ ‘Blake Sleepers,’ ‘Blake Sitters,’ and ‘Blake Standers,’ were so ridiculous. It was amusing.”

Tatiana Diomi - “How do school tea pages affect you as an individual?”

Ari - “There’s always going to be something like this in schools.

Rumors spreading around and stuff like that, but this is a way that is not as confrontational, which makes people really bold. I think it’s good and fun, but there are always people who take it too far. It’s really hard to say.”

I’ve never gotten behind the scenes of a school-related social media page, but I was lucky enough to do so while the creator’s page is currently deactivated. A content creator (Northwood) tells his perspective of releasing content, a creator’s responsibilities, and followers’ responses.

Tatiana Diomi - “What motivated you to create a school confession/tea page?”

The Creator - “I was bored and wanted to make a page interacting with the Northwood community.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Are there any requirements for becoming or being a creator?”

The Creator - “Time and commitment, I guess.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Do you prevent or contribute to the spread of misinformation?”

Creator - “Nah, I never prevented spreading misinformation. But, if someone told me to take something down about them, I would.”

Tatiana Diomi -“How does this impact your followers? Positively or negatively?”

The Creator - “They’re the followers, so I’d assume it would impact them positively because if they didn’t like it then they would unfollow.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Do situations or facts escalate about certain people?”

The Creator - “Yeah, some stuff escalated because people could say stuff anonymously, [so] they just said whatever they wanted with no filter.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Do you think these types of pages are harmful, fun, or both?”

The Creator - “I think these types of pages are both, depending and what is being said. One day people could be writing about who they have a crush on, and other days, people would just be disrespectful.”

Tatiana Diomi - “Can a safe environment be created with school pages?”

The Creator - “I feel like depending on what people are saying decides if it creates a safe environment or not. If it’s just people trying to make friends then it would create an image of a safe environment, but if someone is saying all the bad things that are happening then it’d make it seem less like a safe environment.”

The Purpose To put it this way, there isn’t any right or wrong. We can easily scroll without noticing or worrying about the obvious signs of cyberbullying. How does this mindless pleasure cloud our judgment? Is it up to the creator to take up responsibility for what kind of information the audience consumes, or is it up to the audience to call out the creator for what’s being spread? One thing is for certain: we cannot afford to keep allowing rumors to get out of hand, and letting false allegations, racism and homophobia go unchecked. We cannot let social media be a breeding ground for the worst aspects of high school social life, or it will create a toxic environment that students do not feel comfortable in.

48

LUNCH

Is Snitch Culture a Problem?

BY KATHERINE COMER

TW: Mentions of suicide Your friend posts on their private finsta that they are having suicidal thoughts. This isn’t the first time they’ve said it, but they usually just laugh it off and move on. For some reason, this time you feel like they mean it. Who do you tell? Do you tell anyone at all?

While the definition of a snitch is “an informer,” implying that the person is going about it for some sort of personal gain, today, being a snitch has new meaning. For a generation that values privacy and trust — private stories, private accounts, and anonymity that frequents social media — we live in a world of secrets. If you tell someone something, you expect them to keep it to themselves. If they don’t and you

find out, there will be consequences.

They lose out on your inner circle and are stripped of the privilege of open communication. They develop the reputation as someone who can’t keep a secret, a big mouth, and a snitch.

Too bad this is also a generation that values close relationships. We hate to be excluded. We hate to not be trusted, to be doubted, and to have our integrity questioned. But, at what point does a growing concern outweigh the threat to your social status? Are you really a “snitch” if you are helping someone out?

Snitches get stitches. It’s unfortunate how this childhood rhyme still rings true in many situations. If your friend confides in you that they are depressed or having suicidal thoughts, do you tell anyone? How would that affect

your relationship? Will you be outing them to their parents? What if they don’t talk to you again?

Informing a couple of adults about their child’s mental health issue to get them the help they need sounds like an easy decision in theory.

As a friend, you want what is best for them, however, when you factor in this decision’s impact on your relationship, social standing, and trust with others, it becomes harder than it was originally. People often stay quiet, value secrecy over safety. It can be scary to imagine facing the possible consequences of “outing” a friend, but when you weigh the fear of social exclusion against saving a life, the answer becomes clear.

Concerned friends are good friends, not snitches.

Art by Elizabeth Dorokhina

49 LUNCH

The Ratio Revolution BYJOSH GARBER Ratio. A word once used by mathematicians such as Pythagoras in the golden age of ancient Greece has turned into an internet trend; if you voice an objectively bad or questionable opinion, you are liable to be ratioed. Nobody is safe from being ratioed, not even a sitting President. So, what does getting ratioed mean and why does it matter?

The term ratio, which has existed in the English language since the 16th century, was originally used as a math concept, proportioning sets of data to one another. Five centuries later, it has kept its mathematical meaning, while simultaneously becoming one of the most-used words on the Internet. There are two common uses for the modern-day ratio. The first is a response to someone’s tweet/comment on a social media site (typically Twitter) that receives significantly more replies than likes. The latter form, which has caught fire within the past two years, serves as a reply to a controversial/invalid statement. You’ll be replied to with “ratio” (which only actually occurs if the ratio comment gets more likes than the original tweet), or related terms within the ratio family (e.g.

“Watio”, “Ratio + L”, “Ratio + Get a Job”).

The sports and comedic communities have been pioneers in the ratio movement. Athletes such as Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (well-known for his Twitter antics), teams such as the Washington Wizards, media personalities such as Mina Kimes, and even the NFL itself have all jumped on the ratio bandwagon.

Even an almost forty-year-old Seth Rogan joined in on the fun. By the time this article is published, there’s probably a good chance that your congressional representative will be ratioing trolls on Twitter.

The ratio is a double-sided coin. On one side, it’s a childish yet fun response, a way to poke fun at your friends and crack a joke. On the other, it provides an opportunity to punch up against people who would never give you the time of day. Just for a moment, your average Joe can get the spotlight versus someone who has tenfold more power and influence than they ever will.

Art by Elizabeth Dorokhina

51 COVID

What Does a Mask Mean to You?

BY NORAH LESPERANCE

On Mar. 8, 2022, the MCPS Board of Education voted to rescind the mask mandate, opting to make masks optional within all school facilities effective immediately. This decision sparked both celebration and outrage from high school students across the county, many of whom took to social media to express their opinions ranging from excitement for normalcy to fear for safety. Masks have been a staple of our society for two years, and it is unsurprising that students would judge one another for the choices they make and advocate for their own viewpoints during these uncertain times.

Immediately after the news broke, MCPS released a new campaign in the form of posters and graphics deviating from their signage about keeping masks up, stating “Mask on or off, it’s just me! Please be kind and respect my choice.” Despite the message’s attempt to mitigate the complex social situations posed by a student’s choice to remove or keep on their mask, teenagers understandably gave in to judgment. Some students went maskfree immediately after the decision was made, while others waited a week or more in an attempt to understand the social implications of their new choice. However, even after a couple of months after they became optional, many students still choose to wear their masks and anticipate doing so for the foreseeable future. The varying choices and reactions pose the question: what do masks mean to the high school students of MCPS? To some, not wearing a mask

exposes themselves to serious illness due to risks posed by their disabilities. Albert Einstein sophomore North Lovelady-Allen, Springbrook senior Isabella Long, and Northwood junior Lauren Thompson share such sentiments, and all continue to wear masks during the school day. “I’m disabled... getting sick could be risky for me,” explains Lovelady-Allen, who disagrees with the Board’s decision to remove the mandate because it “completely disregards the safety of disabled and low income students who are much more at risk for serious consequences due to COVID-19.”

Long agrees, emphasizing that “only because the majority of my school has continued to wear masks am I able to continue to go to school in person” due to her autoimmune disease.

Thompson, who believes that the Board “should be responsible for the health and well-being of all of its students, not just the political aspect” of the mask decision, also “learned the hard way that [she] can catch COVID from school.”

To other students who have not removed their masks, wearing a mask not only means protecting themselves, but also conforming to the social situations at their schools.

Blair junior Anna Uehline wears her mask all day because “it makes [her] feel safer COVID wise” and “it would just feel socially awkward and physically bare to be the only one without a mask.” “I don’t feel judged by my choice because my choice is the more socially acceptable one,” said Uehline, who explained that “people who

choose not to wear masks definitely get judged by a lot of peers.” However, what Uehline would consider to be “socially awkward” is the polar opposite of what students at other high schools in the county experience.

B-CC senior Naomi Meyer chose to remove her mask “eventually... because [she is] fully vaccinated and boosted, and getting COVID wouldn’t be really dangerous for [her] anymore.” Unlike Uehline, Meyer “[has] only ever seen people being judged for wearing a mask by those who don’t.” While the other students attending Northwood, Einstein, Springbrook, and Blair emphasized that most students still wear masks, Meyer noted that one class she aides for is “ninety-percent maskless” and about “fifty-fifty” during the rest of the day. An anonymous Whitman student who no longer wears their mask at school noticed similar trends, explaining that they do not feel judged for their choice as none of their teachers wear masks and neither does about half of the student body. To students like them and Meyer, wearing a mask would mean deviating from the “socially acceptable” option.

Ultimately, MCPS students have been given the ability to make their own decisions and take their own risks. While some students feel that wearing a mask is necessary to protect themselves and others against COVID 19, and others feel they are sufficiently protected by the vaccine and other measures, the optional mask policy MCPS has instated is here to stay.

52

COVID

Competitive Nature and Student Burnout

BY SELALI OBOBI

S

ince returning from online school, students have not been the same; grades have dropped, attendance has plummeted, and the motivation to work is at an all-time low.

While quarantine protected countless kids from the spread of COVID-19, the time spent on Zoom, lying in bed and taking Wednesdays off, has resulted in an abundance of unmotivated students.

According to the Mayo Clinic, job burnout occurs as a result of work-related stress, a “state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and

ART BY NINA POLLAK

loss of personal identity.” Job burnout, which almost always transfers into one’s personal life, is often linked with the development of mental health issues. Student burnout has many of the same effects.

According to Delasi Obobi, a freshman at UMBC, student burnout “affects me and my performance. It makes me less motivated to go to my classes and finish my school work. I feel like COVID-19 had a huge effect on my performance as a student. I was not the same student that I was before quarantine. My motivation for school and things overall had diminished, and that

lack of motivation started to translate into other parts of my life. It got to the point where the only reason I turned in my school work was simply to pass and even that was difficult.

But the more pressing issue is that I brought the same mindset with me when I moved on from high school to college. Letting go of that was a challenge.” Overall, students are now experiencing burnout far worse than schools have previously seen. We may have more than just one pandemic on our hands, and this one does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

53 COVID

Was COVID-19 the True Pandemic?

BY SELALI OBOBI

C

OVID-19 has taken the world by storm. Along with drastic changes to the economy, education systems, politics, and more, the COVID 19 pandemic has opened the door to other “pandemics” that weren't quite as anticipated.

A little over two years ago, the world was thrown into chaos and many were unsure of what the future held. Wearing masks and social distancing around others became the norm, and the public was advised to stay at home unless it was absolutely necessary to leave. This was a challenging time to say the least.

However, as the world became accustomed to these changes, other tensions began to rise.

From 2020-2021, George Floyd, Elijah McCain, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many more died at

the hands of police. These deaths had a substantial impact, with the Black Lives Matter Movement making its biggest resurgence in mainstream politics since the death of Travyon Martin in 2012.

The black community was not the only community that faced such tragedies. The Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community saw a 76% rise in hate crimes during 2020.

The same year, the FBI reported a total of 8,263 hate incidents against 11,126 victims. Even this startling figure doesn't come close to covering the influx of hate that occured over the pandemic.

Most, if not all, minority groups experienced their own share of discrimination during 2020. This includes, the Asian community, the Black community, the Latino/Hispanic community, the LGBTQIA+ community, the Jewish community, the Native American community, and so many more.

This eruption of hate became the pandemic amidst the pandemic. Already glued to their TVs, iPhones, and other forms of technology as a result of being stuck inside, people quickly took notice of the surge of hate occuring throughout the country. As the plights of others came to the attention of the mainstream media, a new wave, or dare we say, variant, of this pandemic arrived: Performative Activism.

As people began protesting, the desire to join in these movements rose.

Many teenagers took to social media to join the efforts. Though this started off with good intentions, it opened the door for many people to use performative activism as a scapegoat from social

change.

“Although education has increased concerning anti-Semitism in the past two years, not much action has been taken. People post different messages on their Instagram and Snapchat stories that show awareness, but it consistently falls under the ‘performative activism umbrella.’ Posting because its prevalent while taking no action doesn't do anything at all,” said Damascus High School sophomore, Jordan Lynch. It went from people signing petitions, donating to the families of victims, and lobbying their elected officials, to people posting a black square and calling it a day.

“I definitely think that minorities are now allowed to be much more open about the discrimination they have faced. There is a lot more open mindedness about it too. I do think its a double edged sword where on one side people are more aware, but on the other, people have just convinced themselves further that it [discrimination] doesn’t happen anymore,” said Lucy Randall, a senior at Damascus High School.

There was a significant amount of mainstream participation in this trend.

In turn, many teens took this as enough ammunition for the cause and dropped out of pursuing other tangible methods of activism.

The outbreak of COVID-19 instigated many movements, conversations, protests, and more. COVID altered the way our world approaches public health and changed the future of medicine. This pandemic displayed our country’s ability to withhold unity and stand together. However, it also revealed the opposite. Just as a virus adapts and creates different variants, COVID-19 definitely had a few of its own; Omicron was definitely not the only one.

ART BY LILY CAPIZZI OLIVIA ROMANO AND CARMEN TORRECILLA

BY MAHLET AYELE

We’re in the Clear February 2020 “At this time, there are no reports of Coronavirus in our community… there is no reason from a clinical standpoint to be alarmed.” Initially, ‘Covid-19’ was merely a distant, unfamiliar disease. Something that temporarily distracted us from the mundanity of the perpetual schoolhome-school-home routine.

COVID-19 Two Weeks March 12, 2020 “…all Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will close beginning Monday, March 16, and will remain closed through Friday, March 27. All school-sponsored activities, events, field trips, and athletic events are also canceled…”

As “Dance Monkey” and “Blinding Lights” basked in popularity, MCPS announced its temporary closure in consideration of the community’s health and safety. Despite tentative discussion of unfamiliar possibilities such as ‘remote learning’, the general assumption was that this temporary closure was genuinely temporary.

Some students even neglected to remove gym clothes from their lockers.

How wrong we were.

Should We be Worried?

March 5, 2020 After an increase in media coverage and public discussions, the virus began to feel less like a topic of small talk between acquaintances in a classroom, and more like a genuine concern. When the first Maryland cases - a married couple in their 70s and an individual in their 50s, all Montgomery County residents - were announced, the virus was labeled as an issue solely for older people, as if youth were untouchable.

Just Kidding…

March 18, 2020 “Guidance from federal, state and local officials continues to indicate that school systems around the nation may be faced with an extended closure…”

After the announcement of extended school closure, students and staff fully realized that this virus was not just a bump in the road, a “coronation”, or an early spring break to hold us over until the ordinary one.

Caps Off, Grads!

June 7, 2020 To top off an atypical school year, the Class of 2020 graduZoom and its Technical ated in an atypical manner.

Difficulties MCPS hosted universal virtual March 30, 2020 Throughout the week of Mon- graduation for the entire class, day, March 30, students and as well as their families. staff across the county logged Though they had missed out on a traditional prom and onto Zoom meetings for graduation, they were able to the commencement of syncelebrate alongside students chronous distance learning, around the nation through and saw one another’s faces Graduate Together: America again, albeit through comHonors the High School Class puter screens. On that same Monday, Larry Hogan issued of 2020, - an event curated

by Lebron James and featura Stay-at-Home Order to reduce the spread of COVID, ing President Barack Obama, Pharrell Williams, the Jonas barring Maryland residents Brothers, Timothée Chalamet, from making trips that were H.E.R., Kevin Hart, and Alicia considered non-essential.

Keys, among others.

Hold On Til’ the End May 6, 2020 Governor Larry Hogan’s announcement of schools remaining closed the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, while not unexpected, was a disappointment for students and staff throughout the state.

Farewells and Uncertainty June 15, 2020 As the remarkable 2019-2020 school year came to a close, MCPS announced that they had “not made any decisions regarding plans for the fall.”

55

“I Haven’t Seen You In, Like, Forever!”

March 1, 2021 As we headed into March, MCPS began the return to in-person hybrid learning, starting with students in specific special education and Career and Technical Education programs, and gradually returning the remaining students. The return to school was characterized by strict rules regarding face masks, physical distancing, and COVID-19 testing regulations, as well as longoverdue reunions and the rekindling of friendships.

TimeLine

Mask Up! Or Don’t, It’s Whatever March 8, 2021 In a controversial - but unanimous decision, the Board of Education voted to lift the mask mandate in schools. Immediately effective, a number of students and staff returned to school on the following day sans masks, while many others continued to wear them. Since then, a growing number of people have begun to wear masks either beneath their faces, or not at all. Plenty of community members were elated to finally unmask, whereas others, particularly those with immunocompromised loved ones, were distressed by the decision.

Back-to-School Shopping August 30, 2021 Masking up was a small price to pay for the relief and comfort of finally returning to in-person school. The first few weeks flew by as students across the county busied themselves with heavier workloads, football games, and reuniting with friends.

Well-meaning teachers assigned awkward icebreaker after awkward icebreaker, hoping to foster a more painless acclimation into the new school year.

A New Normal August 31, 2020 After a summer of planning and developing, MCPS schools returned to school in a virtualonly instructional model.

Schedules were untraditional, with Wednesdays as asynchronous days with virtual checkins and 75 minutes lunches - perfect for napping. With the virtual-only model, came the cancellation of all fall and winter sports, devastation to many student-athletes.

Take 2?

December 20, 2021 From late December up until the end of January, as the holiday season raged on, residents around the county attended more social gatherings and traveled at much higher rates.

This led to an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases, and people began to question whether the Board of Education would return schools to virtual learning. Ultimately, the Board decided against doing so, to the chagrin of some and the relief of others.

Summer’s Out! June 16, 2021 Following a school year tainted by worry and wariness, the summer of 2021 was a much needed respite. With an ordinary 2021-2022 year on mind, MCPS students and staff headed into the summer hopeful.

56 COVID

Student Opinions “I don’t feel comfortable with the decision of MCPS. My father is a smoker who almost died last time we got COVID. I’m afraid what might happen if we get COVID again.”

Anonymous freshman “I personally feel comfortable without wearing [a mask], but there’s no judgment if my friends still want to wear one, I certainly don’t mind. [I] won’t make them take it off and they won’t make me put one on.”

Anonymous junior

“[Ending the mask mandate] won’t change my comfort level. I don’t really care if people don’t wear a mask or not, it’s their choice.”

Anonymous junior “I’m not surprised by the timing, more the decision to make it immediate instead of stating a date. Most of my family is of the opinion that if we followed the mask mandate when it was put in place, we should drop it when we’re told it’s safe. I understand why, but I don’t totally agree.

Most likely I’ll feel less obligated in the spring/summer.”

Ava, junior

“[My friends are] ok with it. Some have their mask off, some have their mask on. No bickering about it… I mean, yeah, a lot of people don’t wanna take off their mask because they are afraid of how people will say [they’re] ugly or don’t look good.”

Emmanuel, freshman “Honestly speaking, at first I thought it wasn’t safe, and now I just don’t care. It kind of feels like it’s taboo when I don’t have my mask on, like some people are still living in fear, and when they see you without a mask, you’ve committed a sin.”

Dôublé, sophomore

“It’s alright. Yes, I’m scared for my older family members getting [COVID], but they should be safe as long as they are wearing masks.”

Jozer, junior

“I think [ending the mask mandate] was a good idea because cases are extremely low and there doesn’t seem to be a virus outbreak on the horizon… After seeing the news and knowing less people that were getting COVID, I started to feel more comfortable and not as worried about getting COVID.” Anonymous junior “Overall, I am excited to finally see people’s faces, and I am glad that MCPS is following the guidelines that science research has given us… According to science [my and my family’s] chance of dying or getting very ill is less than 0.003% since being vaccinated.”

Audrey, sophomore “[I’ll be comfortable not wearing a mask] when I’m 100% sure that COVID isn’t a threat to myself and people around me.”

Anonymous freshman “[I’ll be willing to go maskless] once cases in MD drop significantly to the point I feel comfortable.”

Nate, junior

ART BY NINA POLLAK

57

COVID COVID

Persevering Through the Pandemic

BY MIA ROMANO WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM JULIANA CAPIZZI AND COLE PHILPOTT

N

ick Gross, a senior at Bethesda-Chevy

Chase High School, was one of many people directly affected by the pandemic. Not only did he contract the virus himself, but he is living with two people who are at high risk: his parents. In spite of these hardships, Nick has found a way to stay academically driven and still take part in other pursuits. In addition to being a committed environmental activist, he rows on B-CC’s Crew team. Nick is a motivated student who, in the face of great undertakings at home, still manages to continue his academic and athletic responsibilities, as well as his role in the community.

Nick’s mom, Holly Gross, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in July of 2019. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is most known from the ice bucket challenge attributed to promoting awareness of the disease.

To summarize, ALS is a progressive neurological disease that can result in the overall breakdown of nerves and, therefore, decreased muscle function. It is a rare disease with both no known cause and no known cure.

For a long time, the Gross family struggled to obtain a definitive diagnosis of Mrs. Gross’ suffering. There is no real test for ALS, so there were months of testing and ruling out other diseases before confirming that ALS was the issue. Her first symptoms included vocal weakness, which began in November of 2018. Then, in September of the following year, Mrs. Gross started to experience difficulty walking, and is currently in a wheelchair. As of this November, Mrs. Gross has not been able to speak. She communicates by typing, using the remaining range of motion of her hands. Mrs. Gross also has to eat and take her medication through a feeding tube. Although medication cannot cure ALS, it is still beneficial in the ways of slowing its progression and reducing discomfort.

Nick and his brother have had to step into bigger roles in their family. Nick has begun making their dinners, usually his favorite being homemade pasta dishes. He and his older brother, Jake, wake up at different times throughout the night to give their mom her medicine and tend to any needs. As her primary care-givers, Nick and Jake help feed their mom, give her medicine, take her to the restroom, and get her ready for bed. Nick said, “I don’t think of these new responsibilities as a burden or a sacrifice, I see it as a way to give back to my parents who have worked so hard to provide the life I have.”

Jim Gross, Nick’s dad, has been battling Parkinson’s disease for the past 15 years. Mr. Gross has a strictly scheduled day that begins with 4 a.m. vocal exercises and continuous physical activity.

Through all of this, Mr. Gross continues to work from home as a lawyer to support his family.

Despite their consuming daily routines, the family is in good spirits and look forward to seeing Nick and his brother attend and graduate college. His parents’ positive mentality, regardless of their troubles, have helped shape Nick as both a student and athlete. He said, “My mom is the source behind my motivation, pushing me to do better in school, crew, and college applications.”

On the crew team, Nick and the other student-

athletes stay socially distant and wear masks whenever they meet. Although racing is on hold during the pandemic, members of the team still get together to train on rowing machines. Despite not being able to compete, Nick says it is still great to see his friends. He also enjoys getting out of the house while being productive and getting a workout in.

Nick himself was diagnosed with COVID-19 in April after receiving a false positive test for strep throat. Nick didn’t experience severe side effects, losing only his sense of smell. Despite his lack of symptoms, Nick has been serious about social distancing especially to his parents who are susceptible to COVID-19 and its many symptoms.

Even though Nick has a lot on his plate with school work, team commitments, and responsibilities at home, he has managed to participate in local stream cleanups and fundraisers for the Environmental Service and Science Club (ESSC), a club that he founded last year. ESSC works in Montgomery County to make the surrounding areas more green and environmentally conscious. ESSC is also working to create a network of clubs in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area to achieve better results and improve our community as a whole. One of their biggest goals has been to plant enough trees to offset the amount of paper used by B-CC in one school year. They have trees for sale on their website, and they are accepting donations and other support.

The toll of family troubles, academic work, and more can be overwhelming for Nick. Teachers are flexible with him, but Nick tends not to bring up his personal life with others very often, as he doesn’t want to receive special treatment.

Nick made it clear that he did not want “sympathy points’’ in school. He remains a determined student regardless of where school takes place and what other responsibilities he takes on at home.

On top of the direct impacts of ALS on Mrs. Gross and the other challenges they face, it has not been easy for the Gross family financially.

Expensive medical bills and private nursing have forced them to live frugally. In February, family, friends, and strangers came together to help the Gross’ by setting up a fundraiser. Nick says that the amount of people that attended to show their support took him by surprise.

“Being at the fundraiser and seeing how many people came served as a reminder to how far my mom’s impact was felt throughout her life,” said Nick. Through these difficult times, it has meant a lot to their family to have people reach out, offering their assistance. He said, “Having friends reach out to me and my family has really kept us in high spirits.”

There is also a GoFundMe for Mrs. Gross, collecting donations to help pay for medical expenses and aid their family. Nick says that this is the best way to help them. He is appreciative of all the contributions and said that “the support has been incredible.”

His parents plan on taking the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, his mom being in Phase

1 and his dad in Phase 2. Nick and his family look forward to resuming normal life and leaving COVID-19 in 2020.

Nick said, “The community support has kept us afloat. I don’t know what the future holds with COVID and my family, but I know we have the support we need to see it through.”

This story originally appeared in a 2020 Year-in-Review edition

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARMEN PHILLIPS-ALVAREZ GRAPHIC BY TILLY SANDMEYER

Urban renewal?

12

Generation RE L

et’s rewind the clock to 1997. Canadian business analyst, Don Tapscott, published Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation, a book on the generation born between 1974-1996.

The label, “Net Generation” did not stick, but his analysis of the generation that would later be known as the “Millennials” has been widely pored over ever since.

After Growing Up Digital, the race was on among scholars and pundits to be first to label and describe the generation born after 1996.

At the time, the oldest members of this new generation were scarcely toddlers, while the majority of this new generation was not born yet. But, that did not discourage these “experts” as they proceeded to print out labels at a frenzied pace.

Generation Alpha. The Digital Native Generation. The Neo-Digital Native Generation. Post-Millennials. Memenials. Generation Snap.

Even the famed child psychologist Jean Twenge got in on the game, dubbing them the iGeneration, or iGen for

short.

However, none of the aforementioned labels stuck.

Rather, the term “Gen Z” (attribution unclear) has proven to be, thus far, the label sticky enough to follow our generation our whole lives.

For most of our lives, economists, child psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, journalists, talk show hosts and late-night comedians alike have poked, prodded, and panned us.

Of course, along with the labels came the stereotypes about us: self-obsessed, lazy, entitled, fragile, too quick-tocancel, etc.

Now, after more than twenty years of “adult” attempts to “understand” our generation, we’ll take over from here.

Thank you very much.

--So, what defines our generation, setting us apart from others?

Previous generations of young people have lived through greater hardship. See the teens who lived through the Great Depression, for example.

Previous generations have been asked to sacrifice more.

The teens and young adults who fought in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam clearly fall into this second category.

Nevertheless, no other American generation has been asked to simultaneously reevaluate foundational sources of knowledge, reimagine the building blocks of identity, reevaluate longestablished goals, recalibrate the approach to those goals as they reconsider the future, rethink a collective sense of belonging, redirect emotional investments, and reimagine how to to classify the world.

If a revolution is defined as an unwinding, and a cultural revolution is an unwinding of the fabrics that uphold our beliefs, traditions, and practices together, then we are clearly coming of age during a cultural revolution.

Is this another dramatic Gen-Z exaggeration? Maybe, but maybe not.

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves:

Gen Re.

59

60

REdiscovering OUR GENERATION

Teens find sanctuary in traditional religion

BY JULIA BUTLER

I

n early November 2020, sixteen-year-old Eliana Halpert sat in a DC parking lot, listening to her Rabbi and guest speakers read the Torah.

Nearby shouts, clangs, and hysterical cheers soon began to drown out the speakers. Confused, Eliana turned toward her dad sitting six feet away, who quickly snuck away from the service to check his phone.

She heard him chuckle through his mask as he read the notification on his phone. “Biden wins 2020 election.”

If this wasn’t a sign of the times, Eliana didn’t know what was.

When people think of the COVID-19 pandemic, they often consider the universal struggle of staying apart.

But for some teens, the global pause actually brought them closer to their religious communities.

Without the business of everyday activities and the stress of uncompromising schedules, teens like Halpert had the time and energy to dedicate themselves to their faiths. Others spent less time practicing, but still remained faithful to their religious communities.

So did the pandemic make teens more or less devout?

The answer is neither. The pandemic changed where and how they could practice, but the bigger factor seemed to be maturation.

There are conflicting reports on whether the pandemic has helped or hindered religious participation.

For Generation Z specifically, Springtide Research Group found that about half of teens surveyed (47%) said their faith remained consistent throughout the pandemic, while 26% said that it had grown stronger and 27% said that it was weakened. Pew Research Center data suggests an increase in faith across all Americans, finding that 28% say that their faith has grown stronger due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, another study

by Public Religion Research Institution found that for churchgoers specifically, one-third or more of those who previously attended regularly were not participating in online services.

For four Maryland teens, all of whom continued to practice their religion during the pandemic, there were mixed feelings. Of course, the primary similarity was a change in the way these teens were able to practice.

Eliana Halpert, now 18, practices conservative Judaism. She explains that “for the beginning of the pandemic, when nothing was happening, my synagogue was just closed. Nothing was happening, there weren’t even Zoom services, it was just closed.”

But over time, she says, her synagogue learned to adapt. Online services and socially-distanced outdoor gatherings soon dominated the religious lives of not only Halpert, but other teens in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Semhal Tekle, a 17 year-old Tegaru-American, belongs to a local Tegaru Orthodox Christian church. She

describes that they “did do [services] online, on Facebook Live…[but] honestly it’s not the same as going to church, so I didn’t do it.”

And others echoed Tekle’s sentiment. “Just Zooming with family [for holiday dinners]was so weird...you don’t want to stay on for that long because you’re like ‘I don’t know what to talk about.’ We’re just sitting here,” Halpert says.

However, the virtual format wasn’t all bad news. Aaron Cohen, 17, wasn’t deterred.

“With religion, it’s not really something that’s impacted, like you can do it wherever you are, you can practice wherever you are, in whatever circumstance,” said Cohen.

Cohen taught Hebrew school virtually for over a year with positive results.

“I think the kids learned a lot,” he answered passionately.

Virtual events also created more flexibility. Claire Robinson, 18, had virtual Sunday school for her church, and really enjoyed that she “could do it from bed.”

Robinson, an 18-year-old Presbyterian whose mother is a pastor at her church, had a front-row seat to the challenges that came with the COVID-caused changes.

She says that for her church of over 1500, it “was incredibly, incredibly complicated and it still is.” However, after over nine months of hard work and trial and error, she thought the church did a great job. In fact, the time dedicated to her faith actually increased.

With fewer activities and nowhere to go, Robinson says that throughout the pandemic, she “had more time to do [her] devotionals at night because [she] was less tired.” The extra time also gave families the opportunity to bond over religion. Halpert mentioned that her older sister and brother who no longer live in Maryland were back at home for almost half a year, so they were able to have Shabbat dinner together every Friday-- something that would not have been possible without the pandemic.

These teens, who started the pandemic at ages 15 and 16, have now reached adulthood, and their religious ideas and values are bound to change.

Tekle adds, “as I started growing, having my own perspective on things, I started to question, ask, and research.”

For Robinson, as she’s grown older, she’s gotten more involved with her church because of self-interest, and as a result, her faith has increased.

“I do think it says a lot that my identity kind of hasn’t changed as a result of the pandemic,” Halpert answers.

“With so much of that crazy change, I still was like ‘Yeah, I love being Jewish, I love going to services, and I love doing all the silly Jewish stuff.’”

PHOTO BY AXELLE CORMARY

REdefining

Isolation to Internet sensation: teens find their own path to success.

BY HENRY BARATZ “It’s changed me.. [it] fixed my depression spell” Makeup looks created during quarantine, from LGBT pride flag-inspired looks to pop art eyeshadow, have lit up phones across the world, amassing millions of likes in the process. As new makeup looks have emerged, so have stars putting them out.

19-year-old makeup sensation Louisa*, a self-declared makeup person, recounts adjusting to the social media celebrity status; “When you meet people for the first time, [your social media presence] is all they know of you, and they have this preconceived notion and that’s kind of hard to shake. You do just kind of wish that people in your real life just saw you as not that” she says.

With nearly 350,000 TikTok followers gained over the course of the pandemic, the pressure of being a teen influencer amasses with the newfound pressure placed upon her. From PR packages to brand deals, being a makeup mogul comes with stress.

Merging a digital life of fame with her two other part-time jobs has placed a large strain on her; “I haven’t balanced it very well at all recently’’, she says. To her, social media is not a full time job. As a recent university graduate, Louisa says that influencing is not my career, it’s just a passion... it’s just something I do for fun, and I need to treat it as such”.

Louisa, among many other teens, has taken to platforms like Instagram and Tiktok to redefine Generation Z as artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and social media stars.

Over the past decade, teenagers of the 21st century and social media have become synonymous as popularity, status, and livelihoods revolve around likes, comments, and followers.

The influencer has been placed on a high pedestal among teens, as these social media gurus have their everyday lives admired by a wide-scale of followers.

From teens showing off the latest fashion trends to viral dancers, these influencers are gaining popularity and drawing attention to the teenage psyche and the importance placed on social media royalty. The COVID-19 pandemic severely altered the significance of the teen influencer.

Left in isolation with limited social interaction, teens sought social media platforms as havens to interact with their peers. There was a sudden spike in platform usage, with social media use drastically increasing during the lockdown. Forbes reported a study across 30 markets that revealed how engagement and usage rates on these platforms increased by over 61%.

Existing influencers, fueled off of the constant attention they were receiving from teenage fans, went on a mission to become the newest social trendsetters.

When Morning Consult polled a group of teenagers, they found that 86 percent of people between the ages of 13 to 38 wanted to become a social media influencer, despite only 12 percent of those respondents already identifying as influencers.

From starting out by posting iced coffee drinks, to partnering with major coffee corporations like Dunkin’, major teen influencers like Charli D’Amelio used the massive surge in popularity to their advantage.

The shift in desires to abandon typical 9-5 jobs and prioritize making content has been backed by The Week, with their marketing research predicting that by the end of 2022 the ‘creator economy’ fueled by social media will become the next frontier at a market worth 15 billion dollars. A decade ago, social media was not nearly as widespread and influential within the economy as it is now, which has been a major theory as to why more and more teens crave the influencer lifestyle.

Another theory behind the rise of the influencer is the increased interest in relating to social media figures. Teens who are relatable and don’t possess

any particularly extraordinary talent or skill, but can connect to thousands of people, can be seen as an online ‘friend’. These ‘micro’ influencers possess the clout that many teens aspire to have, but are seen as more authentic figures than larger ‘macro’ influencers who have millions of followers.

This clout comes as a double edged sword for many influencers like Loui sa, who says she doesn’t enjoy having the influencer-status online.

“I guess it is easier, in a sense, than maybe having a typical nine to five job, but I don’t think some people understand the loneliness and isolation you can feel when you do influencing / social media for a full-time job,” Lousia says.

Other teens, like 17-year-old Sage*, have learned to balance the positive and negative aspects of having a social media career. Sage creates a variety of content on their social media, including dances, makeup, how-to’s, transitions, and other viral trends.

As they first started to gain popularity, they let the comments and audience engagement define their worth, but over time have been able to become more confident and less anxious on these platforms. They even detailed how the harshness of social media comments has nearly erased their fear of speaking in front of an audience, as their content now gets delivered to 100,000+ people on a daily basis.

In light of an increased global awareness of social issues over the course of the pandemic, Sage notes that a lot of their engagement on social media has been driven through faux-allyship on issues like racism and LGBTQIA+ equality. “I noticed that I only get large amounts of attention and engagement when I mention my hardships involving my race, which is honestly something that bothers me heavily; people will pity me and others speak out for two days and then go back to ignoring the issues, which just defeats the purpose” they say.

63 OUR GENERATION

ART BY SIMON MATULEF A major aspect of being a teen on social media is engaging with activism and learning about causes/issues.

Sage’s experiences with this issue highlights a serious problem among Gen Z, as many teens are hyper focused on their perception of being woke versus actually advocating for a certain issue.

Despite this, Sage has enjoyed being an influencer for the most part, as they defined their content as a “big warm hug” for those in need of support or encouragement.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried happy tears from messages from other teens telling me how my content makes them feel heard, seen, or just less alone. That’s honestly what I want and why I do it, because I felt alone for so long” they say.

Similar to Sage, 19-year-old Atticus* finds the best parts of the influencer life to be the connections he’s been able to make, as well as the ability to grow with his audience. With over half a million followers, Atticus is known for his viral fashion-forward videos and comedic parodies of pop culture. He took

advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and gave viral a new meaning. “The pandemic, in a sense, was a gateway to start creating content and to exercise a skill I had already started perfecting years prior. Especially since there was nothing else for me to do,” he says.

When it comes to managing the duality of being a teenager and an influencer, Atticus has aced the balancing act, but tends to prioritize his social media presence, as “ it’s what pays the bills and further pushes [him] into relevance.”

Feeling like he’s under a microscope, being under the watchful eyes of the internet has allowed Atticus to understand the realities of being a social media star. The pandemic has provided him the opportunity to refine his craft and understand that social media fame is not always the end goal. Atticus is using his platform as an influencer as a stepping stone for mainstream success; in this pursuit, Atticus has begun to discover more of himself and what makes him unique.

“Before the ‘clout’ I didn’t think very

highly of myself and I was quite insecure in my skin; but after thousands of people on the internet began hyping me up and complimenting me, I was able to become a more confident version of myself, as well as embrace what makes me stand out from the millions of other people on the internet.” *Names in this story have been changed

64

OUR GENERATION

REclaiming Teens topple long-held binaries.

BY REBECCA LEWIS & CHARLOTTE SIEGEL Finding like-minded communities can be hard for anybody, but for bisexual teens in quarantine, it can be near impossible. 17 year old Amanda says she “has more of a community because a lot of [her] friends have similar, or the same, sexuality as [she does]”.

However, during quarantine, it was hard to connect with these friends and she found herself without strong support from other teens who understood what she was feeling.

Like Amanda, many teens felt alone, unable to find a community especially when stuck at home with parents who may not be accepting of their sexuality, as a result many turned to social media to relate over common experiences and make connections.

The pandemic has completely changed the way that people connect

and communicate with one another. All the ‘normal’ ways of connecting did not work anymore. In the past, teens would hang out at a person’s house, see friends at a concert or party, or just see people on the street. However, COVID eradicated this from peoples daily lives, and everyone, including bisexual teens, had no choice but to find a new way to make a communities.

Sexuality has long been a stigmatized topic which most people did not openly discuss. Until very recently, people in the LGBTQ+ community have widely been looked down upon, or not accepted in their communities. The first country to legalize same-sex marriage, the Netherlands, only did so twenty years ago in 2001. It is very possible that this helped LGBTQ+ people all over the world gain more rights and get closer to equality.

ART BY COTTON PRETTLOPHINE A 2019 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior study found that 8.7% of teens self-identify as bisexu al. This figure is 6.4% bigger than a 2002 study by The National Survey of Family Growth, which found that among teens and adults aged 15-44, 2.8% of women and 1.8% of men identified as bisexual.

This increase likely happened because as more people have come out, public opinion has shifted to be more accepting of those who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

This newfound acceptance has created spaces for teens to look into and explore their own sexual identities.

There is little data about bisexual teens before 2002, presumably due to the decades of stigmatization surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Many previous surveys and studies on teenagers did

65 OUR GENERATION

not include a question about sexuality - possibly due to the controversy surrounding different sexualities at the time. The slow decrease in the stigma surround ing the LGBTQ+ community likely contributes to the rise in the amount of teens who have come out as bisexual. In addition, the rise of social media has created spaces for teens to find communities where they feel supported.

Through the formation of safe spaces, teens have felt comfortable exploring their identities, and eventually coming out.

There have always been teens who have self-identified as bisexual, but they have not felt comfortable coming out. This demographic shift likely does not mean there are more bisexual teens now than there were in the past, rather it is a reflection of a more accepting society that has allowed teens to publicly express their identities.

The increase in public expression has caused an uptick in teens coming out on social media, and forming online communities.

Katia, a 17-year-old, has felt a strong sense of community on social media, saying that “a lot of social media has been a lot more open with sexuality and stuff like that, especially TikTok and stuff. So that was kind of helpful because I got to relate a lot with other people.”

However, outside of social media, teens like Katia have found it hard to connect with other people who identi fied as bisexual. “I feel like a lot of people don’t really talk about their sexualities or feel comfortable to do so,” said Katia. Social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok have been widely criticized for their seemingly polarizing and isolating features, but when teens could not connect in person, they turned to these platforms to connect with their peers.

Katia has primarily turned to social media during the pandemic because at home her “parents are both very Catho-

lic, so [while her] dad’s kind of accepting, at the same time, he himself has said that he thinks being ‘queer and stuff’ [is] strange; he’ll make ‘jokes’ that sometimes aren’t jokes - he’s used slurs before.” Spending increased time in this environment “mental healthwise overall was just not great” for Katia.

It seemed that the only way to escape and find other people in similar circumstances was to turn to social media, which offered solutions for teens like Katia everywhere. Due to increased time in isolation, many teens found themselves taking time to think about their sexuality.

They questioned what they identified with, trying on different labels to see what fit, or if any label fit at all; social media was helpful for connecting with teens grappling with the same thing.

Having conversations and connections about this was never as prevalent before COVID and the increased use of social media. Bethany, a 17 year old, talked about the way her identity changed over the course of quarantine, saying “I kind of just became more secure in the fact that I think this is who I am...I think I had more time to think, you know, [because] I wasn’t busy doing other things, I actually had time to think by myself and not really worry about what other people are thinking about me.”

The removal of the daily struggle of going to school and being flooded with other people’s opinions about their lives lifted a weight off of the shoulders of LGBT+ teens. In the safe cushion of the internet, these teens are able to find a community with no judgment.

The increased time in isolation has forced personal growth, and teens now feel more comfortable with their sexuality. Amber “feels like [she’s] not really hiding [her sexuality] anymore, and [is] a lot more okay with other people who aren’t [her] family knowing.” This opens many opportunities for teens to connect as more and more begin to feel

comfortable with themselves and their sexualities.

As more teens come out and form these communities, one would think that romantic connections would increase. However, this was not the case.

Katia says that although she’s been able to have “crushes during the pandemic, [she] really just wasn’t seeing that many people” so it was hard to form romantic relationships.

Social media is great for making friends, but most teens seem to want these relationships to stem from real life connections. Bethany seemed to agree, stating that in terms of romantic connections “no, no, and no. Just no.”

It’s clearly been hard for these teens to find relationships during the pandemic and shortly thereafter.

Although it has been hard, these teens remain hopeful that in the future they will be able to meet others who they connect with romantically.

Overall, the pandemic’s effects on bisexual teens is insurmountable. Although it has closed many typical means of communication and connection, these teenagers found ways to be more connected than ever before.

The increase in the use of social media created safe, open spaces for dialogue between people going through the same challenges and that truly understand one another. Apps such as Tik Tok and Instagram allowed for these teenagers to find people similar to themselves and discuss their common struggles without judgment from peers who may not have been through similar experiences. *Names in this story have been changed.

REstaging

Teens take to social media to usher in a new skit era.

BY MICAH SCHUCHMAN Gone are the days when budding comedians must rehearse and perfect their hour-long standup routines. Now, comedians must master the one-minute skit. Much like many other areas of pop culture, the fastest way to achieve comedic success is through social media. Take Drew Desbordes, a 25-yearold comedian from North Atlanta, better known as Druski.

Through his regular posting of hilarious short skits, Druski has amassed close to four million followers on Instagram, three million followers on TikTok, and almost one million on Twitter.

He has been regularly spotted hanging around with various celebrities such as rapper Drake, NFL player Odell Beckham Jr., and rapper Jack Harlow.

Druski’s path to superstardom was by no means typical. After dropping out of college, Druski bounced around from job to job before his big break.

In October 2017, he was filmed casually joking around at a gas station. His friends forced him to post the clip on

Instagram, where the clip gathered significant positive feedback locally.

This spark was all that Druski needed. Since then, he has been consistently uploading content to his various social media platforms. His skits are always high energy, lighthearted, and, most importantly, brief.

They rarely surpass 60 seconds, which is the limit Instagram sets on posts before attaching a preview button that a user must click on to continue watching. His videos are perfect for viewers engaged in long sessions of endless scrolling on social media.

This brevity also allows more eyes to see his work; social media accounts with large followings can screen record his work and subsequently repost it.

With this formula, many of Druski’s videos have exploded in popularity. In one skit, Druski pokes fun at people who laugh for seemingly no reason at all. In another, Druski transforms into an overly-enthusiastic fisherman. He has also created fictitious characters

like Kyle Rogger, a stereotypical fraternity member, and hosted interactive Instagram live sessions posing as a representative of “Coulda Been Records,” his fake record label. Although he has posted hundreds of videos, Druski continues to create original skits that resonate with large audiences.

His comedic creativity and talent have won Druski the attention of many famous hip-hop artists. From having Lil Yachty join in on one of his skits, to hosting Harlow’s “Mission Tour,” to appearing in Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” music video, Druski has close ties within the music industry. While this concept as well as Druski’s other creative ideas have certainly springboarded his popularity, they have more importantly re-defined what it means to achieve comedic success for the next generation.

ART BY : ELIZABETH DOROKHINA

opinion

67

OUR GENERATION

REassessing How College Board failed America

BY JELISSA NGAKO

The infamous College Board. If you’re a high school student, chances are you’ve heard about the organization, and cringe at the mere mention of the name. Formed in 1899, the College Board began as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) in the hopes of expanding student access to higher education. Now, although not directly affiliated with colleges and universities, College Board runs a membership association of institutions spanning across the U.S and the rest of the world.

The organization has long prided itself on being a non-profit organization, which welcomes new and innovative ideas, looking for better ways to serve students and educators. The so-called “public-serving company” aims to direct students to college by inspiring the next generation of youth. Yet, their actions in recent years have proven to be counterproductive, weighing on the mental health of the very students they aim to serve.

To better facilitate the shift from high school to college, the College Board offers AP classes, and facilitates the infamous SAT exam. AP Classes are advertised as college-level

courses taken during one’s high school career. Students have the opportunity to take the AP exam at the end of the school year; the exams, graded on a qualification scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the most qualified), are supposed to award students with college credit only if they score a 3 or higher on their respective exams. This deal can sound amazing at first, especially for students of low-income families, until some universities suddenly blindside students by only accepting scores of 4, and sometimes even 5, for college credit, rendering the hard work and commitment of thousands of students useless. Not to mention, if students in rural communities wish to participate in AP classes, they tend to be at a disadvantage compared to their peers in suburban or urban communities. This is because many rural schools lack the resources to offer a full plethora of AP courses that their urban and suburban counterparts do.

The Department of Education datasets have shown that 73 percent of high school seniors in rural communities reported having access to at least one AP course, compared to the reported 92 percent of seniors in urban or suburban communities. AP exam prices

range from $96- $144 per exam, not to mention a late order fees of “$40 per exam in addition to the exam fee” (Collegeboard).

In addition, the SAT, an exam that in many cases is an essential part of a college application, costs $55. With many high school juniors taking more than one AP exam as well as taking the SAT exam at least once, they are required to pay at least $200 if not more. Not only is it expensive, but it is unfair that students in rural communities or low socioeconomic backgrounds are less likely to be accepted into college based on their access, or lack thereof, to College Board programs.

Despite these fees, the College Board’s maintains their “non-profit” claims. According to propublica, as of the 2019 fiscal year, Collegeboard has generated $1.5 billion in revenue with net assets of $1.2 Billion. Quite the profits for a non-profit organization. CEO David Coleman reportedly earned $1.4 Million in 2019 alone, with other key employees making six-figure salaries. So why is it that institutions of higher education still take note of College Board exams when evaluating a prospective student?

Well, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, standardized exams have begun falling out of favor as a final indicator of academic success. Surveys conducted after March of 2020 have shown an increase in psychological distress among students. Notably, a Penn State study found that 66% of students said COVID-19 had a negative impact on their academics. With these studies and statistics in mind, the increase of schools switching to a test-optional admissions policy comes as a victory for many students across the country, potentially improving student mental health, while dealing College Board a major blow in the process.

ART BY CHLOE BROWN

68

REpresenting OUR GENERATION

The “F You” Moment for Women in STEM

BY BRIDGET BIDWELL AND ALESSANDRA FACCONE Historically, young women have been turned away from STEM because of gender stereotypes, the male-dominated culture, and the lack of role models. Girls have been denied accelerated math and science pathways for a long time, inhibiting their future success in STEM. The male-dominated culture in STEM fields is often quite toxic and draining, making professional success much more difficult to achieve for women. Yet, women’s representation in STEM has shot up in the past half-century. Why? The answer is a bit more complicated than you might think. According to the U.S. census, “in 1970, women made up 38% of all U.S. workers and 8% of STEM workers.”

By 2019, the STEM proportion had increased to 27% and women made up 48% of all workers.”

This spike is often attributed to the recent development of programs such as Girls Who Code, Girlstart, and STEM for Her. All of the aforementioned programs focus on sparking STEM interest within girls and young women, and many have reaped the benefits of a life in STEM. However, as these students mature into adulthood, new motivations for continuing a STEM education often take shape. “I’m at that point where I’m just like, f*** you.” After years of taking science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes with boys with know it-all superiority complexes, Michelle, a high school senior, says that spite is one of her driving factors behind the pursuit of STEM education.

As a child, Michelle says that she always wanted to be a lawyer. In middle school, her interests transitioned toward business. Only after an Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) class did Michelle find her love for STEM.

She credits this to her IED teacher, Ms. Harrison, who was her first female role model in STEM. The lack of female role models in STEM has haunted the advancement of girls and young women in STEM fields for some time. Michelle states, “if I had been exposed to STEM earlier, I might have had more of a head start. Now I just feel like I’m always catching up.” After her exposure to the world of STEM, Michelle has found new female role models, most notably the president of SpaceX Gwynne Shotwell, and the 19th century mathematician Ada Lovelace. “I just want to be respected.”

In contrast, Olivia, a high school senior studying physics, statistics, and computer science, feels motivated by the respect awarded to women who excel in STEM. She recounts attending a magnet middle school centered around the humanities and feeling like she was attending a second-class school. “My school was called the rejected school for kids who didn’t get accepted into the magnet STEM school.

Even though I knew I was just as smart, I felt inferior.” She believes that this even had misogynistic implications, as her school was predominantly female while the STEM school was mostly male. STEM fields have a his-

tory of being deemed more difficult and respectable. To achieve recognition and be deemed as successful, many girls often feel inclined to abide by these social norms and study STEM. “My Dad continually insinuates that STEM is going to be a huge part of the future, and is more valuable than any other education. After a while, I now believe that,” notes Tracy, an upperclassman learning higher-level physics, computer science, and calculus.

She recognizes that a surefire way to secure a job in a fast-changing world is to become a programmer, engineer, chemist, or anything else in a STEM occupation.

Jessica, another senior studying biology and engineering, likes “knowing why things are the way they are.

The content is more enjoyable than English or History, and the learning process is more rewarding.” Despite efforts to make the field more inclusive, it has not gotten easier for the young women currently studying it. Michelle reveals that she often found herself annoyed and frustrated when in her Robotics club because boys would ignore her when she would teach.

She notes that “[her] partner who was helping [her] teach, who was male, had all the questions directed at him even though [she] was the main speaker”.

However, this adversity has often only fueled these young women more.

“The current demographics of the STEM field make me angry It drives me to excel. I love STEM for its challenges and explanations to the phenomena of the world, but it’s a bonus that I get to prove men wrong” say Michelle. She believes she will never regret choosing STEM over her other academic interests, and finds fulfillment in what Miley Cyrus calls “the climb.”

ART BY SIMON MATULEF

REacting

69

OUR GENERATION

The impatient generation- just add instant gratification

BY LOLA NORDLINGER

Patience is a virtue, is an outdated phrase for a generation that does not need it. With quick access to information, the notion of instant gratification has revolutionized Gen Z. Defined as “the experience of satisfaction or receipt of reward as soon as response is made,” instant gratification is a reaction that stimulates the emotional part of the brain.

The term “emotional reaction” is, in this case, referring to the release of dopamine. Coined as the “pleasure chemical”, dopamine fortifies pleasure through association with certain actions and behaviors.

Instant gratification and dopamine are inherent human functions, but in the digital age, with the tools to fulfill any impulse at the touch of a button, an addicting cycle has been created.

Psychology Today explains that “overreliance on instant gratification behaviors can create problems by changing our brains, distracting us from

more meaningful pursuits, and leading to destructive financial, social, and health outcomes.”

This is not to say we should not embrace and take advantage of our modernized society, but we have to be aware of our susceptibility to succumbing to a world of completely impulsive decisions.

Ancient philosopher Epicurus questioned how to obtain and lead a good life, and his finding that delayed gratification and pain are essential to true happiness from the 3rd Century continues to be affirmed to this day. Patience and pain are key contributors to happiness, so what do we know when in today’s world we feed off of instant gratification?

Former Facebook VP of Growth Chamath Palihapitiya apologized in a talk he gave for the actions of his former Company. He explained how social media has capitalized on our dopamine cravings and these dopamine feedback loops that social media has created are

“destroying how society works.”

Social media thrives off of our need to check our notifications, likes, comments, shares, and mentions. This does not bode well for the 97% of Gen Z who use social media.

According to psychologist Dr. Laura Gray, our brains are not wired to constantly see and know what millions of people are doing. The inherent comparisons we make to these various people only encourage an unhealthy obsession with competing with unrealistic lifestyles. This unspoken competitive nature furthers an emphasis on our need for validation, as can be seen in social media likes and comments.

As our physical lives become increasingly consumed by our digital ones, it is important to have an understanding of what the effects of giving into constant instant gratification look like. Because if we do not, with polarization so high in our world already, how will society function with no patience?

ART BY NINA POLLAK

71

SPORTS

opinion

We Must Do Somthing About Athletic Inequity

BY DANIEL GONZALEZ Art by Claire Wang

M

CPS schools have accounted for some of the best teams in Maryland high school football. Quince Orchard took home a state title this past season, while schools such as Clarksburg, Northwest, and Richard Montgomery have significant historical success. However, high school football during COVID has exposed many inequities both on and off the field in MCPS. As an athlete, and as a community member, I asked myself: how were these inequities created, and why do they still exist?

To investigate this shift further, I interviewed players from schools of different economic standing who experienced dramatic changes in football program strength. Watkins Mill, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is an average school with an enrollment of around 1,600 students. However, WMHS is notoriously one of the worst football teams in the county, if not the state.

With an 0-10 record and a -379 point this past year, their season left much to be desired. Over half of Watkins Mill qualifies for FARMS, MCPS’ meal assistance plan. I spoke with a player anonymously to hear about the team’s experiences during the COVID year.

Most players were unable to attend offseason workouts. In the player’s words, “there aren’t really any gyms near me or my friends, so most of us weren’t able

to workout throughout the pandemic.

I felt like that really hurt our ability to gain the strength and speed we needed on the field”.

On the other hand, a wealthier school such as Bethesda-Chevy Chase is a textbook example of this phenomenon. BCC’s football team had a massive turnaround, improving from 2-7 in 2019 to 6-3 in 2021. An anonymous player noted that “a lot of kids were able to buy gym memberships or personal trainers. We mostly have access to healthier food options that lower-income students might not have.” He also mentioned that the team was able to “hire professional trainers to come in and work with us over the offseason.”

These workouts and resources were crucial to offseason development. Full, in-person team workouts are necessary for football skills and team chemistry.

Illegal recruitment strategies have also benefited powerhouses, most of whom are relatively well-off financially.

Both Northwest and Quince Orchard have been investigated for falsifying addresses to the county, assigning players to a particular school in MCPS. This allows for players who would originally attend other schools to illegally switch schools, typically with the intent of playing for a better team, while potentially receiving a higher-quality education.

So how can a more equitable space be created for high school athletics? The first answer that comes to mind is increased funding to lowerincome schools, specifically athletics departments. Funding typically goes to academic enrichment, which rightfully takes priority. Recruitment is also another factor that needs to be dealt with by MCPS. Recruitment keeps bad teams bad and good teams good. If a star athlete on a bad team can transfer and play for a state championship team, they will probably do so. To be clear, the blame does not fall entirely on the players. Many of these student-athletes transfer schools for the chance at a college football scholarship offer, which they are less likely to receive on an underperforming team. However, when every talented player from a struggling program is poached, the program has a low chance of improving.

As new variants of COVID are emerging, it is starting to feel like March 2020 all over again. However, we currently have the opportunity to learn from the struggles of MCPS student-athletes.

Economic inequality surpasses high school sports; it impacts all aspects of student life. Therefore, we must tackle these problems before they become unsolvable.

72 SPORTS

Ballet and COVID: A Complicated Dance

BY SHELLY KAHN AND ANNALISE VÉZINA Giselle* had kicked the rest of her family off the Wi-Fi and set up a laptop for her virtual showcase. For the first sixteen counts, Giselle danced alone in her living room, attempting to stay in time with her fellow dancers on the screen. Suddenly, the music cut out. “We couldn’t hear it, so we just kept going,” Giselle explained.

Over the pandemic, she and her classmates learned how to synchronize themselves through a screen. Yet, for teen ballet dancers like Giselle, the seemingly straightforward path had collapsed.

After years of hymns, the music had been abruptly cut off, sending the ballet community as a whole into freefall.

The ballet community has struggled for years with its identity. The debate between artist and athlete is ongoing, complicated by sexist and racist views in many environments. Some dancers view ballet as a source of support and community; others view it as a source of intense competition and toxicity. Yet when the pandemic hit, the common thread between these warring factions weakened, as ballet studios and companies shuttered in-person operations. As their main source of income was not as viable, many dancers have found themselves in difficult financial situations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that unemployment rates in the dance field increased exponentially between 2019 and 2020. Although three-quarters of independent dance workers have filed for unemployment, non-white dancers are disproportionately affected, as they are more likely to suffer from food and

financial insecurity. Ignoring the emotional and physical challenges, ballet’s monetary obstacles has forced many dancers of all ages to either pause or

portunities are not the only thing summer intensives provide: strong friendships are formed as ballerinas

Art by Elizabeth Frisbie abandon their craft in order to stay afloat financially.

The summer plans of many dancers changed as well. Many ballet dancers, particularly those looking to have a career in dance, spend their summers away from home dancing at summer intensives. During the winter, countless dancers audition for summer programs around the world with the hope of being accepted at a prestigious school.

These programs can be weeks long and offer significant opportunities. Dancers can meet casting and artistic directors while connecting with ballet schools and other dancers. Yet professional op-

get to know each other. Clara* dances at a small studio in Washington, D.C. She was looking forward to her 2020 summer intensive when the pandemic hit. She, like many dancers, missed the social aspect of in-person summer programs. According to her, “in the past, when I went to an in-person summer intensive, I made friends super quickly.

We’d spend all of our time outside the studio together. But during my virtual summer intensive, I didn’t know a single person in the program. I would just log off the Zoom and lie down on my couch.”

73 SPORTS

Despite the unusual circumstances of the pandemic, seclusion is not a new experience for ballet dancers. Long hours often leave little time for other extracurriculars or friends outside of ballet. “I think I’ve always felt sort of isolated,” Giselle reflected. She explains that school friends often expect ballet to take precedence over other activities. Naturally, invitations to hang out generally decrease over time. “It’s like: ‘Oh, I get it, I can’t come because I have ballet,’ but what if I don’t have ballet? Maybe I could come, you know?

The invitation is still nice even though

it might be the same result.”

Ashley* dances at a larger studio in Washington, D.C. As she has been homeschooled her whole life, ballet has been a source of happiness for her. She has continued dancing despite needing to move several times. In her words, she has “been dancing for a while, so it feels natural. It feels like breathing, pretty much.” But over the pandemic, that feeling faltered. Ashley had to transform her dining room to take virtual classes. Her family moved the furniture, took down the chandelier, and brought in faux hardwood flooring

and a portable barre. She would set up her laptop and take her place standing against the wall for her teacher to see her entire body. Yet, she “felt very disorganized. I constantly was getting distracted by things outside the window.

I wasn’t paying attention. The feeling, while I was dancing, was not there. I was looking at the screen constantly being self-conscious, constantly thinking about other things; it was just all over the place.” Going back to in-person classes meant Ashley could reconnect with the environment she loved.

She is still looking forward to a future career in ballet.

But for some dancers, the distance from the studio was a welcome change of pace. Ilene* has been dancing since the age of two, but ever since she began participating in a pre-professional program several years ago, her mental health has deteriorated. “I stopped sleeping and I was getting really bad chest pain because I was so scared that I’d mess up. I cared so much about what other people thought of me,” she remarked. “Quarantine was my saving grace because I was able to step back and make ballet not so much a big part of my life,” Ilene reflected. “I realized I was happier not doing it intensely.

I decided over the summer that I was done.”

But not all teen dancers felt that the pandemic and virtual classes were negative net experiences. Dancers like Giselle experienced positive changes ballet-wise over the pandemic. “It became an outlet for me, like journaling, but with my body,” Giselle noted.

“I could take emotions that I felt at home and project them through my dance. Not in class, per se, but maybe outside of it, letting myself go.” Away from the studio, Giselle discovered a newfound appreciation for ballet. This isolation allowed her to reconnect with ballet emotionally and rediscover what she loved about ballet. “After quarantine, it’s become such a crucial part of me,’’ Giselle said. “Half of (my heart is) molded by ballet; I can’t just rip that piece away from me. I kinda want to see how far it goes.” *Names in this article have been changed.

Art by Claire Wang

74 SPORTS

Catching Up With UMD Commit Octavian Smith Jr.

BY AJ YEARWOOD How do you make important decisions? For some, difficult decisions require specific actions such as making a pro/con list, talking to people they trust, or even taking a step back. For Paint Branch’s Octavian Smith Jr., all it took was finding the place that felt like home.

Any conversation with Tay means talking about those individuals who have had a significant impact on his life.

One of these people is the head coach of Paint Branch’s varsity football team, Mike Nesmith. He describes the relationship between him and Coach Nesmith as a father/son type connection. “He’s like a father figure to me. He has been ever since he took me under his wing when I moved up my freshman year,” says Tay. “I appreciate that dude.” During Tay’s freshman year, then-starting quarterback Norman “PNUT” Douglas Jr. was the upperclassman that showed him the ropes. Tay notes that “he’s self-made like I am; he got it on his own. He graduated (Paint Branch), went to Alvernia, transferred through a JUCO (junior college), and now he’s playing D1 football under Deion Sanders at Jackson State.” In an interview with Channel 7 news earlier this year, Tay stated that his mother is his “best friend.” He added that “she ain’t never missed one of my games (and) she does not plan on missing one. My mom, that’s my inspiration right there. Honestly, in everything I do, I do it for her; she is my biggest reason. The things she’s been through – as well as my grandmother – they’ve been through a lot and they instill the importance of resiliency.”

It was during his junior year that Tay began running track. Before this, Tay says the only track training that he did was the weekly workouts he did with Paint Branch football coach Myron Flowers, which they called “Myron Tuesdays.” Flowers would explain the fundamentals of form running and get-

ting in tip-top shape. Tay added that he learned concepts such as “coming out of the blocks, relays, motion. All of it was new to me.” Tay notes that this was when he started getting some serious attention from scouts. “My PR hand time was 10.46; that got a lot of scouts going crazy. Someone told me that I was .10 away from DK Metcalf’s PR in the 100.”

Tay’s first football offer came in January 2020 from UMass. In the spring, schools such as Old Dominion, Bowling

tioned schools, he had 16 Division 1 offers. So what made Maryland his final choice? According to Tay, “the family culture and how much it reminds me of home here at PB. The vision Coach has and everything he stands for is something I can get with.”

Tay says that after the team’s quarterfinal loss to Northwest, he received several Division 1 track offers. Asked whether he had any desire to run track in college, he said that “it came across my mind, but honestly football is my passion. If I get the opportunity, I would run track at UMD. But for the most part, I’m focused on my goal when it comes to the game of football. I gotta remember I’m on a mission; I gotta remember my ‘Why.’ I can’t let what’s going on around me affect my level of play. If that happens, everything around me is going to go downhill; there are a lot of people that count on me and I can’t afford to let them down.”

While people have come to associate the name Octavian Smith with sports, a hobby of his is poetry. In his words, a “lot of people are shocked. After my commitment video, people say they liked what I said. I wrote it all; I have a way with words. It’s a way I can express myself.” “A lot of people are surprised by this. His message to all of the rising seniors is: “It starts in the classroom; I had Art by UMD Athletic Department the opportunity to go to these big Green, Air Force Academy, and North- academic schools like Vanderbilt and western hopped on the bandwagon. Northwestern. I was able to do that This fall, he led the Panthers to a 9-2 because I handled my business in the record and a berth in the state playoffs. classroom. When you hear coaches say, Even more offers came from Power 5 ‘It starts in the classroom’ don’t push programs, including the schools that that aside. Take that and put it in your ended up in his Final Five. head.”

Tay verbally committed to NorthSo when you head to UMD in the fall western, but then felt that he rushed or tune in to a game, keep an eye out the process. Re-opening his recruit- for Tay, who expects to contribute and ment brought back the attention of get Maryland over the hump, allowing some of his previous top schools such them to become a potential poweras Boston College, Penn State, Virginia, house. and Maryland. Counting the aforemen-

75 SPORTS

Teens and Gambling

BY ANDREW LEBOWITZ The emergence of flashy, illegal sports betting websites has given rise to the epidemic of student sports gambling. By utilizing marketing tactics such as “free play” (zero risk bets) and the always inviting digital casinos, bookies make significant amounts of money at the expense of helpless, hooked teenagers.

“I’m a DC sports fan. I love watching the Wizards, Capitals, and Commanders. With betting, though, I’d turn on any game for any sport and instantly become a fan. It gave new life to watching games I wouldn’t have usually watched,” said a former sports bettor at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

Betting on these websites begins harmless and fun. However, the websites offer a variety of different ways to gamble, and the whole process is way more convenient than any legal book.

You simply enter a username and password, and explore as you please.

You do not have to confirm payment and there is no limit to how you bet. A quick and easy Venmo payment at the end of the week replaces the annoying and taxing wire transfer that has to be done on legal books. Thus, it can be concluded that teens and people of all ages are more prone to develop unhealthy relationships with gambling on these illegal websites.

“There was one night, actually, when I was sitting in my bed, at 1 a.m. on a school night watching Argentinian ping pong on my laptop. I lost 20 bucks that night and woke up the next morning sleep deprived and depressed,” said the retired gambler.

In sports betting, Vegas always has the upper hand. That is, sports gambling would not be such a profitable venture if people didn’t lose. Even the greatest sports handicappers of all time - idolized professional gamblers have winning percentages just over 50 percent. These are experts who analyze Art by Claire Wang

all kinds of trends and statistics when crafting bets for themselves and their loyal audience.

Now let’s imagine a bunch of inexperienced teenagers throwing hoards of money on low probability bets. Additionally, most legal bettors who are of age understand setting limits in betting and have the money to comfortably support losses. This gets a little precarious with teenagers who lack experience, self-control, and money.

I asked another anonymous bettor at BCC HS how much money he risks per week.

“In a complete week, it depends on the events going on, but I’d say on average around “$100- $200.”

I then asked him the most he had been down in a week. “$600. The roulette wheel killed me.”

Luckily, this student had the money to pay off his debt. Not all bettors are so fortunate in this respect.

Another student at a local high school told me, “I went down $2.5k.”

“I messed up. At first I only went

down a couple hundred, but I kept trying to make that money back with more bets. It just resulted in me digging a deeper hole for myself and I just had to stop. I didn’t have that kind of money to pay my bookie.”

“So how did you get off the hook?” I asked him.

“Well, it’s a long story, but I paid every dollar in my pocket. It still wasn’t nearly enough to pay back my debt. My bookie wasn’t satisfied. In the end, I actually had to become a bookie just so I could make the money back. I still am a bookie to this day.”

There are numerous more instances where student gamblers have bitten off more than they can chew. The fact is, betting on these websites is addictive and it gives students an adrenaline rush that feels surreal. Winning money one week ultimately leads to overconfidence and more money being lost in the weeks to come.

77

PARTY

Fake IDs

BY MEGAN REESE

If you are in highschool, there is a high chance you or someone you know owns some form of fake identification.

Whether it is used to purchase alcohol or get into a club or bar, these forms of identification can be helpful to those underage, but also extremely dangerous, not to mention illegal.

The use of a fake ID is fraud, as you are pretending to be someone you are not. However, today’s culture has normalized the purchase and use of these cards to the point where teens may

forget the legal repercussions.

It’s most common for seniors to begin looking for ways to purchase their fake IDs for the upcoming fall - their first year of college.

So, what does the purchasing process look like? Broke teenagers are constantly looking for ways to save money, and in the world of fake IDs, a group order is an appealing approach.

Teens hop onto one order from a website, normally not having any idea where their card is coming from, plac-

ing a good deal of trust in the person in charge of the order.

Of course, to get a decent, scanable form of identification, the buyer will pay a ballpark amount of $100, depending on how large the group is.

Modern technology makes this process extremely easy. Most teens just have to send the information on their real ID, minus a few years on the birthdate, and a new address for their “new” state. Once the person in charge has this information, buyers just play the waiting game.

After the teen obtains a new ID, the scary part begins.

Most teens are aware that using a fake ID is risky. Most bouncers are aware of underage students using fakes. Typically, a business that catches a teen will just deny entry, however, some businesses confiscate the ID. Using the ID at a liquor store or restaurant can attract more risk, potentially involving the police.

Some teens use masks to their advantage, to conceal their identity and make themselves look older. It’s not unheard of for people to even wear scrubs to look like nurses, attempting to match the age on their fake ID. It all comes down to judgement and risk. Is a twelve pack worth the possibility of getting in trouble?

College life is around the corner.

With all of the excitement that comes with it, being safe and making rightminded decisions must outweigh risks.

Art by: Lawrence Struthers

78 PARTY

Do’s and Don’ts at High School Parties BY: PAUL FINE As the COVID-19 hysteria abates, the social scene in high school is coming back to life. You might wonder what students are doing these days outside of school. Well, what about on weekends? There is a lot of time and effort that goes into weekend partying, sometimes even more than kids put into their schoolwork.

However, a bunch of high schoolers in a house with alcohol is not the best combination. Therefore, it is important that these kids behave.

Do: - Help the host/hostess with prep, cleaning, etc. (All) - Have fun (During) - Be social and talk to people (During) - Thoughtfully organize your schemes (Pre/During) - Find a ride home/designated driver (Post) - Respect the home you are in (During) - Thank the host/hostess before you leave (Post) - Play good music (During) - Pay for your own drinks (Pre) - Participate in the theme (Pre/During) - Ask the host before inviting other people (Pre/During) - Respect girl/bro code (During) - Eat beforehand (Pre) - Keep your shoes on! (No dawgs out) (All)

Art by: Lawrence Struthers

If they don’t, they may suffer the consequences of being kicked out. On that note, I have put together a list of Do’s and Don’ts for parties. Whether you go out every weekend or have never gone to a high school party, take a look at this list below. There are three categories: Pre-Party, During, and Post-Party. After reading, I guarantee you will exponentially decrease your chances of being known as that person who got kicked out.

Don’t: - Bills Mafia pong tables (unless told otherwise) (During) - Bring uninvited guests (During) - Be loud and annoying (to a certain extent) (During) - Stand in the corner on your phone (During) - Be a bad Aux/try to steal the Aux (During) - Spill your drink (During) - Take things from the house/steal (During) - Break curfew (Post) - Lie to your parents about where you are (Seriously, it may work for a little, but they always find out) (All) - Turn off your location (All) - Try to get into peoples’ Ubers (Post) - Watch TV (During)

One thing mentioned on the list that is one of, if not the most important things, is finding a ride to and from the party. Drunk driving is not a joke; thousands of teenagers die each year from getting into a car with a drunk driver. If you see someone who looks drunk or even tipsy getting behind the wheel, stop them.

Make them either call an Uber, or even their parents. Your Parents would rather you call them and ask for a ride home, then have a police officer show up on their doorstep to tell them you have been in a crash.

On a less serious note, it is important to enjoy yourself. Have fun with your friends and meet new people!

79 PARTY

Should Teenagers Watch Euphoria?

BY: MEGAN REESE

On February 28th, the season finale of hit TV series Euphoria aired, drawing over six million viewers on HBO and HBO Max. Since its 2019 debut, the show has become the second moststreamed show on HBO MAX, trailing only Game of Thrones.

While Euphoria is rated TV-MA, a good portion of the show’s fanbase are teenagers, most under the age of eighteen. According to the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, Euphoria is not a show for those under seventeen. Nonetheless, he hopes that it “creates a certain dialogue between parents and their kids.”

So, what do teenagers think about this? In order to reach as many teenag-

ers as possible, I went straight to social media. Some believe it “desensitizes young people to the serious topics being romanticized in the show,” but it may not be the show’s fault.

A few teenagers agreed that it is a show for those sixteen and older: younger audiences are not mature enough to fully understand what is being portrayed. In the words of one teenager, those under sixteen are “taking it as exposure to that lifestyle instead of learning from (the mistakes of the characters.)”

One of the more prevalent topics discussed is drug addiction, more specifically, the main character Rue’s relationship to drugs and how it impacts

the people around her. Many teenagers felt the show gave them perspective on addiction. So clearly, there is something to be said about the realistic portrayal of drug addiction in the show and how it translates to an audience who does not glamorize addiction, but learns from it instead.

As a whole, most teenagers surveyed acknowledged the mature themes presented within the show, collectively agreeing that the show is not suitable for those under sixteen. While topics such as addiction and sexual assault are important for teens to be informed about, such graphic representation might not be the best option for younger teens.

The Science Behind EDM

BY: ALEX COULOURIS

There is one thing that can be universally said about parties: they have to include dancBY: REBECCA VENTURA ing.

And to have dancing, there must be music. But what makes good party music?

A popular genre of music often played at parties and raves, EDM (Electronic Dance Music) features something that is common in all different genres of music: a beat drop.

The tension of melody and sounds building together to create a moment of release, where the sound of the music can change entirely, pushing the energy in the room to the limit.

The science behind these beat drops, however, is still being developed, as EDM is a genre that is unpredictable by nature. Some songs may have a similar buildup to the drop as others. If the tunes are well

known, partygoers will know when to hold their breath and when to let loose.

Subconsciously, our brains are constantly trying to create and predict patterns within the sounds that we hear. This is emulated in the rhythmic motifs contained in nearly every genre of music.

When we pick up on these patterns for the first time, we are constantly trying to predict the beats that will come. Beat drops can completely subvert this.

Part of this subversion happens in the anticipation leading up to the “drop.” During this time the brain releases a rush of dopamine similar to the reward after a long wait or seeing someone you love for the first time. Listening to the drop does not give you the dopamine; the reaction causes it.

ART BY LAWRENCE STRUTHERS

How is toxic masculinity still so hot?

BY HANNAH GANDAL & ANNA-LOUISE COBAU

T

oxicity among males, especially teens, is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s day and age. Not only is it increasing, but it is glamorized among many teen girls.

Media plays a large role in this glorification of toxic behavior. Toxic male characters have always been a staple of movies and TV shows. They are often seen as attractive and endearing, leaving female characters swooning over them.

Social media plays a part in the normalization and glamorization of this destructive behavior as well. On platforms such as Tik Tok, Youtube, and Twitter, one can find millions of videos and posts about toxic masculinity and how girls are attracted to it. This content has a substantial influence over teenagers, and have created a culture where toxicity is considered ‘hot’.

There are many examples of toxic behaviors that teenage boys engage in, especially in relationships. An anonymous teen girl explained that “A lot of teen boys tend to demean women and make offensive comments (ie. about looks, sexually, personality, etc.) around their friends in order to fit in and achieve the societal standards they believe men should have.”

In terms of relationships, “Men will sometimes pretend to like a girl more to achieve something they desire sexually.

It can be very manipulative in terms of either trying to control a girl and determine who and what she can do,” another anonymous teen girl said. Teen boys have a different kind of insight on these toxic behaviors. “I’ve seen a number of

teen boys cheat in a relationship. In a more general sense, I think many teen boys can fail to communicate in any type of relationship. This can cause a number of misunderstandings as well as a lot of pent up aggression,” said an anonymous teen boy.

As terrible as this behavior appears to be, it is still romanticized in the media. Movies and TV shows portray toxic men as desirable. “When you think of any ‘cool’ male character on TV, he usually has many toxic traits,” explains a teen boy. “Movies like The Wolf of Wall Street show teen boys that being toxic is a good trait and will lead to success.”

Many male characters who attain these toxic traits are also played by attractive actors. “The audience then perceives these behaviors as attractive because the actor is objectively hot,” said a teen girl. A prime example of this can be seen in the TV show Euphoria. One of the main characters, Nate Jacobs, displays many terrifying and toxic behaviors in his relationships with girls.

He is manipulative, abusive, aggressive, and dominant. His relationships portray the textbook definition of toxicity.

Nate is played by Jacob Elordi, who is deemed as very attractive to many.

His attractiveness does not necessarily make teen girls overlook his toxic traits, but it makes them give into them a little more. There have been numerous social media posts stating quotes about him such as “I would let Nate Jacobs ruin me.”

This romanticization by the media leads many girls to seek out toxic traits

in men. A teen girl at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School described that “teen girls romanticize some of this behavior because getting a toxic boy is seen as a sort of prize, and I think it can make girls feel confident and good about themselves if they get a boy that is usually mean to others.”

Receiving attention from boys that are typically rude to women can feel validating. If they are mean to everyone but you, it could make you feel special.

However, this mindset is incredibly damaging. Eventually, the appeal wears off. “Usually these traits are only attractive at the beginning of a relationship, like before they become a real issue and the girl sees the negative effects,” says another female B-CC student.

Many teen boys end up perpetuating this toxicity because they see this appeal from teen girls. “Guys think that girls are gonna go for the guy who’s maybe the funniest and the coolest, and we think that achieving those qualities has to come from engaging in toxic behaviors,” explained an anonymous teen boy.

So how do we fix this? If the media can’t be changed, the population must look elsewhere. There is a need to differentiate reality and healthy relationships from those that appear so endearing on fictional shows. The public must be able to separate what those in the media deem attractive, and lean towards what they actually look for in men.

PHOTO BY MEGHAN GILL

PARTY

Can You Hold my Drink for Me? BY: REBECCA VENTURA

Although high school parties are not as crazy or wild as TV shows and movies make them out to be, female solidarity is definitely a real part.

Sticking close to each other during the entirety of a party ensures that everyone is safe and having a good time. An important rule of thumb for everyone, not just girls, is to never leave a friend alone at a party.

While parties are meant to be fun and enjoyable, party culture can go hand in hand with unsafe environments. Unfortunately, drugs and alchohol often serve as gateways to sexual assault. One out of six girls are raped in their life time, and 15% of them are high school aged girls. In an environment where it is more likely, female solidarity is incredibly important to keep each other safe. Girls have created their own party culture; if you see something, say something.

As soon as one senses another needs help, there is sort of an unspoken understanding that you must intervene. Whether it is your best friend or someone you have never met before, you have each other’s backs. This is especially important if you find someone in a vulnerable state, and is one of the reasons why girls never seem to split up at parties, or really in any environment.

The long standing joke that if one girl goes to the bathroom, everyone has to go, is rooted in female solidarity. Girls at parties make the bathroom into a safe space, complimenting each other, giving advice, or helping each other out. Whether it comes to makeup, clothes, or relationships, girls usually have each other’s backs.

Even though high school girls are usually portrayed as petty, jealous, and vengeful, the majority of girls have matured to be supportive and kind to other girls. Years of being dragged down and shamed either subliminally or obviously, has created a sort of understanding of protecting one another.

Even when they do not know each other, girls will support each other.

Sticking together and keeping each other safe at parties is vital.

Parties are a large, unpredictable environment intended to be chaotic.

When girls are seen as weaker and more vulnerable, a shared fear ultimately works to unite them.

Art by: Juliet Glasser

83 PARTY

Turning 2 DOPE 2 COPE

BY EMERSON DELFIN AND AIDAN LASH

M

ost post-pandemic teens are shaken and scared. Nervous, scarred by the loneliness of being quarantined for some of the most crucial years of their young lives. But Taylor Rey* finds herself “numb,” she says.

Taylor turns to marijuana to cope.

“I do it instead of harming myself. I smoke to feel something,” she says.

“I use marijuana as an alternative for more harmful things… but I also use it to just have fun with my friends.”

In the 21st century, society’s view on marijuana has softened, with many pushing for decriminalization and eventual legalization of pot nationwide. This drop in stigma around weed usage, particularly among members of Gen Z naturally has resulted in an increase in marjuana usage in teens.

The transition to online school had a major impact on the lives of teens who smoked, but even before COVID, we found that teens who smoked weed reported higher grades.

“Honestly I think my grades got better. The stress just wasn’t there, so I just scored better,” says Mark Smith, a 17-year-old senior attending Albert Einstein HS. He mentioned that he smoked the night before taking the SAT. Taylor Rey gets serious migraines because of her antidepressants, and she found that marijuana alleviates some of the pain. Contrary to popular belief, teens reported that smoking results in less stress and procrastination, helping their grades go up, debunking the myth that “potheads” do not care about their future.

The fact that Gen Z does not share

the same prejudices against marijuana that previous generations does proves the ineffectiveness of school-administered health classes that declare drugs as Satan-esque. In fact, these health classes have had the opposite effect.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse did a study on teens and their opinions on marijuana and found that “about 15 percent, or roughly 1 in 7 teens, report using marijuana in the past month.

This rate is up from a few years ago, perhaps because fewer teens consider marijuana to be a harmful drug.”

Pew Research Center did a national study and found that “two-thirds of Americans say the use of marijuana should be legal, reflecting a steady increase over the past decade,” (Pew Research Center.) Proving to be even more of a shift than expected.

When interviewing Emma, a junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS, she mentioned how she purposely smoked weed in order to go against what her school had taught her.

“I remember in middle school, we had a presentation about the dangers of drugs and they made us sign a pledge to remain drug free... I just didn’t sign it.”

The stigma surrounding drugs, sex, or other illicit actions makes teens want to try these things. Teens want to go against authority, so these “jokes led to me actually trying weed,” says Emma.

“I think that these [health classes] have the opposite effect of what they are intended to do.” According to Mark, the school health classes “never really affected me.”

Taylor thinks that weed is an out-

let for relaxation. “The only reason I started smoking weed was because of my mental health and my antidepressants. I [realized] that if I didn’t smoke weed, I would have self-harmed and my mental health would be significantly worse.” So, maybe, the bad reputation that weed gets is a bit unwarranted.

Every single interviewee said their usage spiked during the pandemic. Not seeing people for months on end, they turned to weed to help them cope. The lack of responsibilities and plans allowed them to smoke whenever they pleased.

“I honestly can’t believe how much I smoked, probably once a day.” Rey states she only started smoking during the end of her sophomore year, the in the height of the pandemic and the beginning of online learning in Montgomery County Public Schools. “From there, it kinda increased super fast.

Now [I don’t smoke] so much, with school and everything,” Rey says.

“Of course, I think weed should be legal, [and] I think many agree with me,” Mark Smith says. “Obviously I want it to be legal under 18,” he joked, “but definitely over 18.” Taylor is optimistic that soon, she will not have to hide her experience. “I think a lot of people still have a stigma, but not every story is the same.”

Names in the article have been changed.

ART BY SANJAY FERNANDO

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

S E X U A L FAITH T F

Y

BY SADIE SPLETZER

or one teenager, K, they came out in the seventh grade, and recently realized they were non-binary. K now exclusively uses they/ them pronouns. They were scared their parents would not accept them. So, K turned to God. Their parents are practicing Mormons and wanted K to grow up being able to love God and find faith. Their conflicting views come into play when their parents argue traditional Christian values do not accept non-social norms whereas teens argue the opposite.

The separation of religion has inspired many young people to adopt contrasting beliefs from the parents. Where religion deems certain identities as forbidden and/or sinful, teens want to show pride in their gender and sexual orientations.

Atheism has spiked in popularity in Gen Z compared to millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and the Silent Generation. The trend suggests that Gen Z is leading a reformation resulting in a loss of interest for religions.

K identifies as bisexual, nonbinary, and nonrelgious. Their parents idenify as straight, cisgender, and Mormon values.

According to K, the exposure to multicultural, cisgender, and hetrosexual people creates a barrier with her parents. When teens branch out and develop different viewpoints from their parents, it creates tension.

K says: “I think it’s just my idea about how society should be, and how people should interact with each other differs strongly from what my parents believe. I think my parents interpret it one way, but I think my church is more on my side in terms of acceptance of others.”

A rift develops where children want to express their identities, but are reluctant because of uncertainty in how their parents will react. Their parental-child dynamic is in conflict when it comes to acceptance versus tradition.

For A, experiences within her community turner her off towards Christianity as whole. In school, various individuals came to speak, pushing harmful narratives to her and her classmates.

LGBTQ+ individuals discussed being “straight” and restraining from engaging in what she paraphrased as “sinful” behavior. Those who had issues with addiciton demonized those who used drugs, despite the fact that they were once in the same position. They portrayed addiction as a personal failing rather than the disease and public health crisi it is.

When she began to explore her sexuality, A was admonished, reminded that this was disobeying God. However, as she grew older, she distanced herself from her church. A now identifies as queer and agnostic.

The aftermath of finding your identity in a religious setting often entails isolation and judgment from older members of one’s religious community.

In K’s words, “I think I was able to spend more time thinking about it outside of external influences. I do not feel comfortable talking about gender due to the church’s views on gender and sexuality.”

With the influence of church parents, surrounded by older generations, thousands of teens were more likely to suppress their identities.

Belief creates personhood, as anthropologists argue that identity is shaped from the beliefs and morals one creates. Psychologists argue identity is created as a teenager, when people develop ideas different from those who raised them.

Teenagers decided to create their personhood surrounding LGBTQ+ identity. Today’s teenagers are the first generation to distance themselves from Christian faith and God in general.

Unsurprisingly, Gen Z is widely seen as the most accepting generation in regards to the LGBTQ+ community.

During the pandemic, teens had ample time to themselves to re-evaluate themselves. Many teens came out of quarantine with prideful attitudes towards their gender and sexual orientations. For A, she believes that this time was crucial in becoming proud of her bisexuality.

Neither the church nor her parents aided A in her journey to understand herself, yet she was still able to find the inner strength to persevere.

85

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS 87

BY ANNIE SPRENGER

A

borderline

personality

teenage girl living in Longmont, Colorado woke up in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit, confused, disoriented and extremely sick.

Three days earlier, she had consumed an entire pack of benadryl in an attempt to take her own life.

Sophia* was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder at the age of 16. After a few months in a treatment facility, she gained important skills and went on medication in order to live with her mental illness.

When COVID hit, she reverted back to her old ways, landing her in the hospital. She appeared to have no hope for her future, again. So what had happened?

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric condition that causes a person to act out of emotion, impulsively make decisions, have inconsistent relationships, and more.

It was first classified in 1978 by Gunderson and Kolb. Causes of BPD are usually childhood abandonment, neglect, poor attachment styles or genetics. About 1.6% of the U.S population have BPD and 3% of adolescents. More women are diagnosed clinically with BPD than men (Kristalyn SaltersPedneault, PhD).

One in ten people diagnosed with BPD die by suicide, yet nobody seems to be talking about it. Since 2000, Time Magazine reported that the rate of Borderline in adolescents has been on the rise. Borderline is difficult to diagnose in teens because they are malleable.

The disorder first arises during adolescence, and has the most extreme symptoms during this time. Social

ART BY JULIET GLASSER

media has made a significant impact on teenagers’ mental health in recent years. New research found that Facebook is completely aware of the impact they are making on adolescents, especially girls. Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media programs have fostered many self image issues, pressure to appear attractive, and a constant need for validation.

This could explain the recent rise.

One study details that “individuals with higher BPD trait scores reported posting more often on social media, as well as a higher incidence of experiencing regret after posting on social media, and of deleting or editing their posts” (Interpersonal Functioning in Borderline Personality Disorder Traits: A Social Media Perspective).

Teens have had to revamp how they cope with BPD while managing their social media presence. “The problem is, I think we’re trying to say that these things [personality disorders] are acceptable because we’re seeing them in everybody, and there doesn’t seem to be a choice because it’s in such alarming numbers... Should we be excluding this [behavior] as a disorder, or should we be accepting [that] this might be the normal behavior now?” asks Morgan Brooks, an ACA member who is an associate professor and director of the clinical mental health program at Niagara University.

However, the traits associated with BPD should not be considered normal; After all, they are detrimental to one’s well being and of those surrounding them.

Sophia described her experience during the pandemic as “being trapped inside my head. [During the pandemic] I began using more drugs, cocaine, acid, salvia, just as something to do.” This put an immense strain on her relationship with her parents. “I got mad at them when I was drunk and high, I yelled, I swore,

I got physical.”

Sophia lived in a treatment facility in Missoula, Montana for 9 months where she describes that she learned to control her emotions, effectively communicate, manage real world situations, and stay sober. “During the pandemic, I completely regressed. I ignored everything I have learned, and honestly it scared me.”

Julia, another teen living with Borderline Personality disorder, said that “not being able to get out of the house added another level of complexity to my life. It was a sudden and very disruptive change to my everyday life.

I struggled a lot to manage.” When asked about her relationship with social media, she reflected that it made her “feel insecure about the way I look and where I am at in life... It is also a way to avoid my overwhelming thoughts and feelings.”

Andi, a teen from Silver Spring, MD said that social media made her “hate myself, constantly compare, live my life as a performance act, and when I see others perform better, it freaks me out. I hate it. It makes me so upset, because I compare myself and feel inadequate when I do.” During the pandemic, there was even more of a motive to be online, to connect with others, and give off a perception that everything is fine.

As a society, we have not been doing enough to protect and help teens with mental illness. In the age of social media, teenagers, especially girls, have been put under immense pressure to portray certain images of themselves. We must not let this become the new normal.

disorder

toxic

88

BY SAMANTHA WANG

S

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

relationships

ometimes, you feel trapped. You are scared of voicing out your thoughts. Scared of taking charge.

Scared of putting your feelings before theirs. Sometimes, it feels like there is no way out of the constant torture.

You only hold on because they say, “I’ll change” and “won’t ever do it again.”

Hope is a fickle thing, full of loopholes and disappointments. It makes you want to hold on. Makes you not want to sever the emotional attachment you have formed. Makes you agonize over every little thing. I am here to tell you there’s a way out of the unending cycle. There is a door out of the dark room you’ve encased yourself in.

Where there is love, there is hate.

Where there is friendship, there are enemies. There are always two sides in any given situation, and a romantic relationship is not excluded. They say

three months together is the summit — afterward, everything comes tumbling down. When the affection slowly starts to fade. When the rope begins to tear and eventually snap. Personally, I know how this rodeo goes.

“It just leaves you feeling confused on why you aren’t receiving the same amount of love,” a junior in high school said. “I feel like I am the only one putting in effort for something I know won’t work. I just can never accept the inevitable fact that it needs to end. Everyone knows high school relationships never work out and it is only a matter of time before everything falls apart. It gets tiring being the only one holding it together.”

It is the feeling that you will not be anything without them. Not wanting to have to say another goodbye, to watch someone leave for the ninth time. End-

ing up alone. These powerful emotions are what make someone neglect their mental health and well-being. It is what prevents them from getting what they emotionally deserve. I struggled with this for a while. I was always scared of voicing how I felt because I was afraid of losing them. I was vulnerable and at a point in my life where their presence meant everything to me. I honestly could not imagine a life without them in it.

It is something you need to learn to escape, and you have to be able to recognize the signs of a toxic relationship to ensure you put yourself first. Acknowledge this fact, or else you will be trapped forever. In toxic relationships, most people fail to realize the toxicity while they are together. However, if you take the time to learn and understand the components of toxicity, you

ART BY LAWRENCE STROTHERS

89

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

can avoid this all together.

“My friends always warned me, but seeing him sad always tore me apart.

After multiple instances, I was convinced that he was just deeply in love and there’s no harm to give in and make him the happiest,” a female junior said. “That was the biggest mistake. Giving him that sensation makes him think you’re willing to do anything for him as long as it keeps him happy.

He could use the same trick over and over to get what he wants, and you both know it works.

At this stage, you’re probably still happy, thinking you did the right thing for your relationship, addicted to the attention that you don’t want to let slip away. But now that he knows you will never leave, why should he bother put-

ting in the effort anymore? It leaves you yearning for what you have grown accustomed to. The ‘good’ that just is not him anymore. You believe his promises to change, believe the sporadic lovebombs, believe every word he says, just for everything to go back to square one.

It turns into a cycle of hopelessness.

It is the evident pause of happiness that starts the cycle, the inconsistent tendencies of the other person that make it impossible to get out of. The general remedy is to lay in bed and wallow. To distance yourself from them.

Cut everyone off. Eat a tub of ice cream and binge Gossip Girl. But, this is not the best method of coping. Allowing yourself to be miserable shows weakness. The effect you are letting them have on you is what is keeping the pat-

tern going. The ability recognize this fact and having the mindset of letting it go is the most effective solution.

I struggled with this for a while.

Learning to understand that things will never go back to the way they were. It is over. Letting the same little things resurface is an unnecessary torture that can be evaded. Relationships are never an easy thing to let go of, but if you keep your head high and take the time to heal, the heartbreak will be nothing but a distant memory. It will get better — you just have to be brave and open the door.

Names in the article have been changed.

ART BY CLAIRE WANG

90 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Eating disorders:

ART BY EMERSON DELFIN

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

91

feeding the beast within I

cannot recall the very first time I was conscious of my body, aware of the space my figure took up, the idea that there was more of me than the world needed. My doctor told me I “could stand to lose a few” if I wanted to be within the healthy weight range for my height and age. I think I let it start getting to me around 5th grade when girls were being noticed for far more than just our sharp tongues.

With this story, we want to encapsulate the ideas and emotions of the individual and the whole. It is easy enough to say that society pushes disordered eating upon people, especially young girls, but is society the culprit? One way or another, we all fuel this monster.

So we wonder, who, or rather, what, is standing in the way of our satisfaction with ourselves? According to a Bethesda-area teacher, it is noticeable that “society replicated itself onto social media, but unfortunately the nature of social media [is] all visual, right? It just further perpetuates stereotypes and likes unrealistic beauty standards.” She does not deny her own struggle, although she has never been diagnosed with an eating disorder. She

knows that with disordered eating “in any capacity, you don’t talk about it because you are afraid of shame, of feeling stigmatized, you’re afraid of what people will say. You don’t know what to do obviously, otherwise, you might do something different.”

Society almost has required credentials “for who gets to qualify for having an eating disorder. Are they thin enough? Are they beautiful enough?

Do they have the right skin color and so forth, for us to pay attention to the fact that they have a problem.” There is “an exclusivity to it, a disease for rich, white girls,” says another teacher. We nod our heads in agreement with the occasional ‘mhm.’ Also, “the idea of who gets to have an eating disorder, who’s doing it right? It’s absurd.” You are required “to fit that mold of beauty to even have that disorder in the first place.” Would a girl evidently not underweight be treated with the same urgency or even recognition as someone who was visibly average to below average weight?

There has to be a reason why this plague still exists, right? There is a part of us that welcomes it because we hold these ideals that are both unrealistic

and dangerous. Yet, they are passed down from generation to generation.

“We have such an adverse reaction to weight gain, in my family, it’s always been seen as a negative thing.” She leans in closer, “I carried those pieces with me.” While the idealizations have changed dramatically over time, they have always been present. From offhanded comments from her friends or even her own mother, she struggles to look past it. She cracks a near-smile recalling the various comments directed at her through the years. “You are pretty for a big girl. You’re pretty for a dark girl.” Why does my beauty have to be conditional?

A woman’s worth was once attributed to who she married, how she looked, and how she raised her children. We say that we have evolved past that, but we are not past making judgments on appearance. People are still fat-shamed. People who lose weight get an unhealthy amount of compliments. Big is beautiful. Black is beautiful. Brave is beautiful. Kindness is beautiful. Beauty is around us, at all times. If only we would stop searching, and let it come to us.

92

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Transgender Teens Confined to Hostile Home Environments

BY ASHTON DODGE AND ELEANOR FAIRBANKS

F

ollowing the global outbreak of COVID-19, many American teenagers’ schooling has been confined to their homes to stop the spread. This is one of the strongest defenses we have against physical dangers, but what about social ones? For many teens that identify as transgender, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire.

“Not much has given me hope,” said Bethesda teen Ty*, whose school has been closed to prevent infection since March. This may seem like a common teenage disposition, but for the transgender community, hopelessness is a frighteningly pervasive phenomenon. Without the support system that friends can provide, simple isolation can give way to deeper issues.

The inability to spend time with friends and out of the house particularly impacted transgender teenagers.

To Ty, this separation from friends had a huge impact. “My friends were the only ones who knew and respected my existence and not being able to see them in person all the time is difficult,” they said. Ty hasn’t come out as transgender to their parents, because their dad “never really got this kind of stuff” and their mother’s response to their sibling coming out as non-binary was “not great.” This has forced them to present as their assigned gender at home, which, for many transgender people, can cause emotional distress and significantly impact mental health.

“My friends were the only ones who knew and respected my exsistence.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased emotional distress for many transgender teenagers confined to their homes with the reduced support that comes from in-person schooling of friends and school faculty members. Although this comes at a time

where while transgender people have seen increased public support, rates of transphobia are still very high.

Transgender people are those who do not identify with the gender assigned at birth and use the term “transgender” to describe themselves. Some of the subcategories within transgender teenagers include those that identify as trans women, trans men, and nonbinary people. General estimates hover below 1%, with about 1 million of American adults identifying as transgender. The Williams Institute found in 2016 that 0.5% of adults age 65 and older identify as transgender and 0.7% of of adults 18-24 identify as transgender, and that more densely populated states such as Texas or California had the highest percentages of transgender people compared to rural states, like North Dakota or Iowa.

“0.5% of adults age 65 and older identify as transgender and 0.7% of adults 18-24 identify as transgender.”

The CDC’s BRFSS data allows the Williams Institute to estimate that 0.6% of adult Americans are transgender, which is double the estimate made about a decade ago. According to a survey of teenagers in Minnesota in 2016, almost 3% of teens in 11th and 12th grade identify as trangender.

When compared to a government survey of adults across the United States, this is a much higher rate; as less than 1% of adults identify as transgender.

This suggests a large difference in the transgender population between Generation Z and the generations that are currently adults, including Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers.

The increased acceptance of transgender people over time, as well as the increase in education and awareness, may have contributed to the larger population. Gender nonconforming be-

havior was illegal in the past. A person perceived as a man could be arrested, imprisoned, or institutionalized for wearing “women’s” clothes. Even after these laws were repealed, social stigma discouraged it. This stigma has also lessened over the years, which would explain why youth are more likely to identify as transgender than older groups.

“I just think society is a lot more accepting than it was twenty years ago.”

Ty came to the same conclusion. “I just think society is a lot more accepting than it was twenty years ago. Some people think there are more of us because it’s ‘trendy.’” They brought up a number of social occurrences that account for the rise in cultural acceptance, from the Stonewall riots to more esoteric cultural humor. “There’s that meme where the guy from Total Drama Island says in the voice, ‘Alright campers, I heard from an anonymous source that someone has not been supporting trans rights. Not cool dudes.’ That one was popular. I think it’s powerful stuff.

We’re not the butt of the joke anymore.”

Some of the transgender teens in quarantine at home have been making choices that satisfy their need for bodily comfort and safety. Even if they are not out to their family at home, many teens still try to use their gender presentation in order to feel more comfortable with their bodies.

Dakota*, a nonbinary teenager from Oregon, has used the time at home to explore different ways of expressing their gender. Dakota says that their “gender expression is all over This story originally appeared in the Spring 2021 edition, Coming of Age in a Pandemic

93

ART BY CASEY KENREICH the place,” ranging from “hyper feminine to hyper masculine” as they try to find ways of dress that make them the most comfortable with their gender.

However, the need for safety has caused some teens to not come out to their family because it may create an unsafe home environment, either emotionally or in other ways. Dakota’s family uses their birth name, which can often negatively affect trans teenagers by creating a feeling of not being accepted.

This pandemic has increased the difficulties of the home lives of many transgender teenagers, and for others, it has also highlighted the discomfort associated with attending school in person. Seamus*, a senior at a high school in Bethesda, describes his experience of feeling more comfortable over Zoom because “teachers and students can hear [his] voice and see [his] face, [...] but they can't exactly question [his] gender because of what they see physically.” The parts of his physical appearance that he is most self-conscious about due to how people perceive his gender - such as his “height, binder bump, [and] the shape of [his] body” - aren’t visible on camera. This causes Seamus to feel more comfortable in the online school setting than he was in the

school building. Seamus’ experience of “a physical fear of being seen for something [he’s] not” during normal school years is unfortunately one that many transgender teenagers face, often from both classmates and family members inside their own homes.

What is it that these kids need? Unfortunately, it is impossible to convince each of their families to become trans allies overnight, as acceptance is one of the few things that cannot be forced.

This is no reason to give up, however.

Making the lives of transgender youth easier can be accomplished through small actions with very real reverberations. To avoid instances of “deadnaming” (when a student is referred to by a name that they do not claim as their own, often a humiliating experience for the recipient) schools should allow students to change their names on Zoom.

Many schools have this function turned off to avoid students changing their name to something silly— but since when is it proper to sweep aside the needs of a minority because a teacher cannot control their class? It is unforgivably demeaning to make students ask for their instructor to change their name on the Zoom call every single day. Each minor problem that trans

students face can be solved in a similarly simple manner using procedural thought. To avoid misgendering, pronouns can be recorded next to student names. Additionally, students struggling with dysphoria can be excused from having cameras on.

While it is true that these issues can be dealt with, they continue to be problems in the interim. The lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the foreseeable future have affected various cross-sections of people in many different ways, often more negatively than positively. Transgender teenagers are included in this; whether it be due to lack of access to friends, difference in gender presentation at home, or an overall toxic home environment, these teens have had to deal with problems on a daily basis that have been magnified by the pandemic.

The effects on the mental and emotional health of these teenagers, as well as lasting impact on overall societal perception of transgender people, will be an interesting result of the spread of COVID-19.

Names in this article have been changed.

94

ART BY NINA POLLAK

This story originally appeared in our Fall 2021 edition

A Tangled Web The Fraught Relationship between Teenage Girls & Instagram

BY AILEY GOLD, REBECCA LEWIS, GIOVANNA LYNN AND LOLA NORDLINGER

“T

his picture is fun and I had a good night, so I guess I would want to share that and post something that had meaning to me,” Lea explained to her mother while the two skimmed through pictures Lea chose not to post to her Instagram account. “ But I have a bald spot in my hair.”

“Bald spot?" interrupted her mother. "Where? I don’t see it.” “... And you can see roots of my hair and wispies," continued Lea, "and it’s a weird angle and my leg looks so strange in this position. It looks kinda big.”

“That is so sad to me that you think that,” her mom said. “Because it looks like such a nice picture of you and your friends after soccer having fun and that makes me very sad.”

95

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

As it turns out, Lea’s decision not to post the picture from a night filled with pleasant memories is more common and much more complicated than her mother knows.

From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem that teen girls over-share their lives on Instagram – from friends’ birthdays to family vacations.

However, the pictures that make it to a teen girl’s Instagram often go through a multi-stage ritual of self censorship: 1. Reduce the selection of photos down to the five best 2. Apply filters and occasionally Facetune 3. Ask friends (if they are in the photo) if it is okay to put on Instagram (aka The “Don’t Post Without Permission” stage) 4. Decide if the post is “Instagram worthy” or if it should go to a less popular platform like VSCO 5. Make a caption for the post (if the post makes it this far) The result? The best, most polished pictures make it, leaving some major life events out.

From an outsider’s perspective, this process may appear benign and as old as female beauty itself. Yet, we have recently learned through the whistleblower affidavit by former Facebook employee Frances Haugen and the subsequent congressional hearing that Instagram may be driving this self censorship to toxic levels young girls have never experienced before.

Given the gravity of the claims in Haugen’s testimony, it is surprising that teen girls have been left out of the discussion. From Congress to CNN, the so-called experts have been reluctant to put the so-called victims on the stand.

We want to correct that. We want to explore the relationship between Instagram and teen girls from their perspective to see if the relationship is as toxic as Haugen describes.

How Instagram took over In 2012, Facebook bought Instagram for $1 Billion. The already popular Instagram then became the central photo-sharing platform for teens. The

same trend still follows: about 22 million teens are active on Instagram in the U.S. every day, compared with only five million teens who are active on Facebook. 16-24 year olds spend an average of three hours a day on social media.

Why do teen girls spend so much time on Instagram? Psychologist Laura Gray does not hesitate to call it an “addiction.” When a teen curates a post, according to Dr. Gray, she seeks validation. This becomes like an addiction which stems from the serotonin that process releases. You can read more about our conversation with Dr. Gray on page 99.

On September 14th, 2021, The Wall Street Journal published, “Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents revealing Facebook's role in this “addiction”. Internal documents show that Facebook knew that Instagram makes “body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.”

The relationship starts early.

Very early.

Many of the girls we interviewed started using Instagram before they even hit puberty.

Talia, a high senior, says she and her friends started on Instagram as early as elementary school. “Even in elementary school, if you didn’t have it [Instagram], you felt left out of things,” she said. “So I was kinda pressured to join Instagram in the first place and it's all kinda been downhill from there.”

Cora, a sophomore, had a more troubling introduction to Instagram.

“I do have a more unique experience.

I was actually groomed online when I was like ten so that definitely had a huge impact… The friends I made online wouldn’t have been able to help me and I would not have been able to reach out of my very small, not healthy friend group.”

Ella, a high school senior. “In middle school, I would definitely spend way too much time on social media. I would compare myself to people a lot and I think that that was not very good for my self-image. I was obsessed with the way I presented myself.”

As Ella explains it, this obsession quickly spiraled out of control in middle school. “I think everyone looked a certain way and everyone, at least that I knew, at the time was FaceTuning and trying to change how they looked.

So for me to be that sole outlier was kind of weird and was kind of this peer pressure mentality. So, I felt the need to [FaceTune] to fit in.”

“I would say it [Instagram] definitely worsened my mental health,” said Ella.

How bad does it get?

We showed all the girls we interviewed a segment from the 60 Minutes interview with Frances Haugen.

In the segment, Haugen claims Facebook knew that when teen girls begin to consume content on Instagram, it can make them more depressed and pull them into using the app more.

Talia has seen this phenomenon first hand. “If you are already in a bad mood and end up scrolling on Instagram and see other people feeling happier or having better experiences, you’re only going to feel worse about yourself,” she said. “But there is the pressure we all should be on social media… we continuously go back to these apps… you keep doing the same thing.”

Ella echoed Talia’s experience.

“Anytime that I was in a bad place, I looked at it [Instagram] and sometimes even seeing a post of someone who I thought looked better than me kind of spiraled me into this really really bad self doubt.”

After watching the 60 Minutes clip, Macie, another senior, said: “I think it is completely true and it's really sad."

Downhill from there “I would say, at a point in my life, middle school, it was pretty toxic.” said

cont. on next page

96 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

cont. from previous page A stronger handle on things Many of the girls we spoke to think they now have a better handle on the impact of Instagram than their middle school selves had.

Many said that at the earlier ages of their adolescence, they were constantly comparing themselves to others, but as time went on they became more selfaware. They generally noted that they realized how Instagram was affecting them, and in some cases they made a change.

Remembering her middle school relationship with Instagram, Ella says, “I’m really glad that I'm not in that right now.”

Macie shared a similar feeling that she had gotten better at navigating her relationship with Instagram since middle school. “I used to be more affected by social media for self perception. I used to look at a lot of people's Instagram and want to be like them and post like them and look like them. Now I've kinda grown out of that which I'm really happy about. But yeah, in middle school, I used to have really bad self esteem issues because of Instagram.”

Is this what being in control looks like?

Although some of the seniors we spoke to said they were more aware of and in control of their Instagram usage (compared to their younger selves), this control seems fleeting. The pressures of Instagram do not take time off.

As Dr. Gray explains, “the challenge with social media is that you’re not getting a break from it. Previously, if you went on vacation or you came home from school, you got a break, you had space, you had peace. You weren’t constantly bombarded.”

“I think Instagram causes me a lot more stress than any other positive feelings…” said Talia. “I [still] find myself comparing myself to most people I follow on Instagram and celebrates and that has made me more self conscious and aware of the differences between me and other people.”

“It just pollutes everything and it

really covers all areas of my life,” explains Cora. “It impacts how people see me, how I see other people and whole friendships. I know people focus on how body issues affect teen girls, but honestly I think social media is so much more complex than that. I mean obviously, body image is a huge issue, but the problems created by social media go so much deeper than what a lot of adults are willing to investigate.”

"

Feedback loops in nature are about stability and equilibrium (homeostasis). ...Yet, Haugen's allegations suggest that on Instagram, the negative (not positive) feedback encourages girls to use the app more."

Despite Haugen's affidavit, many still doubt that teen girls using Instagram should be considered victims.

After all, a girl who does not like how Instagram makes her feel can simply delete the app or delete her account altogether and walk away.

Yet, it may not be that simple.

Instagram is about agency. Instagram allows girls to project their identity in ways unimaginable a decade ago.

Instagram is also about the “illusion of agency.” The influence of other people and other forces, including Facebook’s algorithm, may be driving all those filters and Facetune tweaks.

The relationship between Instagram and teen girls is also a feedback loop of sorts - a wholly unnatural feedback loop. Feedback loops in nature are about stability and equilibrium (homeostasis). Positive feedback encourages more of the desired behavior and negative feedback encourages less of the undesired behavior. Yet, Haugen's

allegations suggest that on Instagram, the negative (not positive) feedback encourages girls to use the app more.

Where do we go from here?

When asked about the ongoing struggles teens have with their Instagram selves, Talia explains, “I'm just not sure what we are going to do about it.”

When Haugen’s allegations came to light, it seemed like the perfect time for teenage girls to boycott…no “girl-cott” Instagram. But, based on our interviews, it does not appear teen girls will take that step.

The testimony was “validating” one girl explained, “but it won’t change anything.”

The toxicity of social media is so ingrained in our society that people don’t even view it as a priority to fix. It is just accepted.

--Let us return to the example of Lea, as she explains to her mother the pictures she did not post to Instagram.

“My forehead looks big here and it’s a weird angle,” said Lea, describing a picture taken at Homecoming. “You can only see one of my earrings and my nose doesn't really look like it exists and that’s annoying. And there's the crease of my arm...”

“Wow, that’s so picky,” her mom explains. “To me, it just looks like a nice photo, but you’re really zooming in and picking it apart. You look so beautiful; I don’t see that at all.”

Ultimately, Lea did not post any pictures at all.

Names in this article have been changed.

97

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

N

ow, more than ever, students have access to an unprecedented amount of information. Students are informed and aware of the developments around them, often to the detriment of their mental health.

Keeping up with the news is generally considered a good thing. It is essential for basic social literacy. It also allows people to make educated decisions about their quality of life. For example, hearing about health risks or the state of the economy can influence important financial and lifestyle decisions.

For many, keeping up with the news is about humility. Understanding the struggles of people worldwide, hearing the stories of those in your community, and knowing the powers and influences that shape our society is essential to being a grounded and ethical person. It is necessary to see others’ struggles as an exercise of your sympathy. It is also important to know the consequences of your decisions in a broader sense than your insight could provide.

Yet, the news is tiring. Unpleasant news sells well, and there is no shortage of unjust or scary events to be reported. Consuming this can take its toll on everyone, especially students, who may have limited power in the face of international turmoil. One junior from Watkins Mill High School, Ashley Huynh, tries her best to stay updated, especially during major events.

In her words, “I struggle between wanting to be an informed citizen and maintaining my mental health.

It’s hard for me to focus in class just because it seems like there are much

Breaking News

bigger things to worry and think about.”

She mentions her particular struggle during the insurrection on the Capitol building on January 6th, 2021. “I couldn’t focus but I also just couldn’t turn it off. I barely got anything done that afternoon.”

There is often a sense of guilt that develops within students. So much happens in our world that needs to be processed and pondered over. It feels ignorant and out of touch for one to fulfill schoolwork and return to daily activities, undeterred by current events.

The news carries an even heavier weight when it pertains to students’ lives. While some students may be in a position to turn off the news, distancing themselves from its effect, this is not a reality for everyone.

Many Black students battled through mental health struggles while observing police brutality all over the news.

Grace Edwards wrote in Watkins Mill’s school magazine The Current, that during the BLM protests what had started as sadness “snowballed into a low-grade depression,” as more videos of police brutality against Black citizens arose.

Edwards stated in her article that “it is ineffable to properly express the overwhelming anguish, dejection, and hopelessness when experiencing firsthand and watching the consequences of living in a Black mold.”

Beyond this, worries arose relating to how Black students should be presented so that they wouldn’t be discriminated against. Alassane Faye, a junior at Watkins Mill, began reanalyzing how he was perceived in public

during this time. “All I cared about was not putting myself in a predicament where I would be remotely near the police,” Faye said. “It kept me very weary and compressed.” For some students, keeping up with the news is a matter of survival, not a matter of choice or awareness.

What can be done? Consuming the news retains our humanity. In some cases, such as the BLM movement and the pandemic, it gives people information that directly impacts their ssfety.

Yet, the overwhelming emotions and necessary reflections take time out of a student’s schedule that they may need to focus on a task at hand.

But one thing does seem to help.

Huynh brought up that although it might not be for everyone, she enjoys discussing the news in a classroom setting.

She said, “I appreciate it when my teachers bring up stuff in the news. I know that’s not for every student …

I find it validating. I like that they’re acknowledging that some other things are happening in life.”

There is no magic solution that balances media intake with mental health in a way that lets students be informed and clear-minded enough to complete schoolwork.

The unfortunate reality is that our world is unjust and daunting more often than not. However, the best way to combat this is through action; if we all choose to fight for better within our issues of passion, there might be more positive news in our near future.

opinion

Persistent exposure to “Breaking News” is poisoning teen brains.

BY AJ GORDON

mental health

opinion

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Why are we still shaming young women about sex?

BY ANONYMOUS

A

s girls become women, shame surrounds them. They are told that their natural bodies are unacceptable, periods are something to hide, their breasts are something to be covered, and the idea that they are amorous beings is ignored. When the idea of female sexuality does come up, women are told that if they engage in sexual behaviors they are a slut and are undesirable. If they refrain, they are called prudes. No matter how they behave, they are met with shame.

When asked about his comfort in discussing sexuality with his friends, one male student at Bethesda -Chevy Chase high school said, “We talk and joke about it all the time.” On the contrary, a female student of the same age replied, “It is not something I bring up with my friends, even my closest friends. It is uncomfortable to talk about.” A study conducted by Cornell University found

that women who had 20 or more sexual partners were viewed as “less competent and emotionally stable, less warm, and more dominant.” A male with the same amount of partners was considered “more competent and emotionally stable” than a male who had only two sexual partners. It supports the idea that people feel as though women should repress their sexual desires so as to not to be seen in this negative light, while men are encouraged to be sexually expressive.

Women often report feelings of guilt after engaging in sexual acts. Researchers from Monash University studied 6,000 women between the ages of 18 and 39. Over half of these women reported feelings of guilt and embarrassment when it came to their sex life. The same applied to masturbation.

This shame is not only emotionally damaging, but physically as well. The female orgasm is incredibly healthy for women. It is proven to alleviate pain, boost fertility and your immune system, improve heart health, increase focus, and so much more. So why shame women for engaging in something that is healthy for them?

Powerful men set this example of shaming women, as is displayed in the Rush Limbaugh–Sandra Fluke controversy. In 2012, Limbaugh, the famous late conservative TV host, commented on Fluke’s speech to House Democrats in support of mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives. Sandra Fluke stood up for women’s reproduc-

tive rights, and Limbaugh responded calling her a “slut,” and a “prostitute.”

Women who even dare to speak about concepts relating to the fact that they are sexual beings are demonized.

The notion that women need to cover their chests while men don’t is also applicable when talking about this shame.

The bottom line is, breasts are for feeding children. Why have they been sexualized? Back in the eighteenth century, ankles were sexualized. This is no different. Women should be able to do what they want with their bodies, without fear of the ogling of men. The Free the Nipple movement expresses this desire. When talking to men about this movement, the response was utterly unsatisfactory. They would laugh and say “I’m all here for it,” while smirking at their friends. It is not for their sexual gratification, but so women can have autonomy over their bodies.

The first step to achieving progress is to push past the feelings of embarrassment, and begin discussing female sexuality more openly. When the aforementioned interviews took place, female students often blushed, looked down, and had no interest in answering the questions. Men expressed an opposite response. An openness simply not present in the slightest with women.

As women and girls, we need to fight these feelings of discomfort ingrained in us from previous generations. Express yourself: push past any shame you may feel for being a sexual being.

With consent, do what you wish to seize control over your sexuality. It is not about anyone but you, and it is especially not about the men that shame you for it.

ART BY EMERSON DELFIN

98

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

99

The Troubling Relationship Between Sex & Validation

BY SOPHIA BURKE, MILENA HONKU AND JOHANNA KREJZA

S

ex and validation go hand in hand, particularly amongst young adults. Teenage girls are often validated by friends and boys romantically.

For an average high school girl, being desired by males can raise her above others on the food chain. She is desired by boys and men, temporarily filling the void of insecurity that commonly plagues teenage girls. Insecurities are common among young girls in high school, where the need to be liked and wanted is a determining factor in how they live and act for four years.

Boys in high school seek external validation, too, but they typically seek it platonically rather than romantically. Sophomores Mike* and Will offered more insight into this phenomenon.

Will said that when he wanted “comfort or validation, I would go to my guy friends”. The boys agreed that while they have more conversations about sex with their female friends, they still seek validation and comfort from their male friends.

Audrey, a senior, has experienced the same craving for male validation.

Ever since her freshman year, she has participated in hookup culture, a decision, she says, that gave her “emotional damage at a young age. I let people use me all the time,” she said, reflecting on her sexual experiences, beginning at the age of fourteen. “I would meet guys, have sex with them, and never speak to them again.” Audrey feels like she is stuck within the hookup culture.

“I was having sex with my best friend for a while, and I was in love with him, but he didn’t get it. Two years later, it happened again,” Audrey reflects. She is frustrated with herself for repeating the same cycle as a senior that she experienced as a freshman.

Participants in hookup culture are often negatively perceived. Will says “there’s a lot of stigmas around hooking up with people, especially if you’re a woman. Wearing it loud and proud may not be the best for them, I feel like they would be negatively talked about by a lot of people.” JJ, a freshman, was familiarized with hookup culture in his pre-teen years. He noted that in middle school, “ if you did something like that

[hooking up], depending on your gender, you would either be portrayed as this really cool person or this person who is kinda disgusting.”

Jane, a freshman, believes that teenagers are less interested in sex today because they are more educated and feel less pressure to be sexually active. But the question remains: where are these young teens getting their sex education? For a majority of teens, the Internet is used as a reference guide, replacing a sex-ed course offered in an academic setting.

Sex is a taboo topic; as a teen, discussing it with your parents is typically awkward and uncomfortable. This sense of discomfort leads teens to rely upon friends and peers for their sexual education. Most teens believe that their friends have more relevant knowledge about these topics than their parents.

So, for the average teenager, the opinions of their friends carry more weight than those of their parents and guardians.

Much of the social understanding of sex stems from pornography. Pornography affects its viewers’ body image because they cannot help but compare themselves and their partners to the actors, many of whom undergo plastic surgery, use waist trainers, and struggle with eating disorders.

Pornography, coupled with other media, can be incredibly harmful to body image, creating a generation more insecure than ever before. “I always compare myself, I always feel like I don’t look the way I should,” Audrey said. “I’m at a healthy body weight, but I’ve never been content with that”.

Keith, a senior, mentioned that “only seeing men that are ripped makes guys feel insecure too.” These standards have affected Keith, who has always been very tall and underweight. “I feel like I need to be eating more, I feel like I’m too skinny.

Now that I’m older, I don’t really care anymore, but when I was a freshman, I was really insecure about that stuff,” he remarked. Mike and Will both agree that they have recently cared more about their appearances. Mike believes that pornography “has had an impact

Photo by Sebastian Tulin

on the amount of sexual drive [teens] have,” explaining the overall decrease over the last few decades.

The Internet made sex readily available, exposing countless children and teens to sex at inappropriately young ages. A study by the ACF found that the “use of or exposure to Internet pornography also emerged as being associated with numerous sexual risk outcomes, including increased likelihood of having recent sex partners, ever having engaged in anal sex, and increased risk of use of alcohol and other drugs at most recent sex.”

Mike has noticed the desire for male validation among his female peers.

Mike says, “Porn is a part of it, but our society, especially social media, is pretty sexualized as a whole.” He explains seeing “pictures that are rather revealing of teenagers posting themselves on Instagram.” When asked about the reasoning behind this phenomenon, Mike said that girls “see these people with certain body types getting a lot of validation ... they duplicate that. They should not have to feel validated by their body in ninth grade. They’re just too young for that.” *Names in this article have been changed.

THE MCPS COUNTYWIDE STUDENT PUBLICATION