The Tide - November 2018

20

News 2-3

Opinions 4-6

La Marea 9

Town Center loses key stores

by Fatima Imtiaz Everyday, hundreds of people go to Rockville Town Center (RTC), many of whom are RM students. Despite the number of visitors, quite a few businesses have not been successful as of late. In the past few months, stores such as Dawson’s Market, Mellow Mushroom, and Pandora’s Seafood House & Bar have shut down due to lack of business, nonpayment of rents and other issues.

According to Bethesda Magazine, 400 people came out to the VisArts building on Gibbs Streets in October to attend a meeting about the closures. Among those present, residents, businesses owners, and Montgomery College students voiced their concern to city officials and representatives from Federal Realty Investment Trust.

Most citizens wanted to save the stores from closing, especially Dawson’s Market.

Located conspicuously near the entrance of Rockville Town Square, the natural foods grocery store has long since been a community favorite. “Dawson’s Market had

a variety of healthy food options, and it’s sad that we won’t be able to stop by anymore,” junior Cathy Yung said.

Other concerns addressed at the meeting included the lack of parking spaces and the difficulty of getting to the Town Center. The allotted parking time is also only two hours, which many feel is not enough time for meeting people and enjoying the food.

“Dawson’s Market had a variety of healthy food options, and it’s sad that we won’t be able to stop by anymore.”

-Cathy Yung

A Montgomery College student at the meeting proposed a shuttle to transport students.

Most RM students do not drive to school, and many students who buy lunch at RTC found this proposal appealing.

CLOSINGS, cont. page 2

GRAPHIC BY LANCHI NGUYEN

Center Spread 10-11

Features 12-15

Arts 16-18

Sports 19-20

PHOTO BY ABBY ADIGUN

Freshman Marlee Heaven, center, weaves around junior defense players in Nov. 14 Powderpuff match.

Powderpuff: more than a game

by Kathleen Li and Eileen Zhang Every year since the 1960s, girls across all grade levels at RM have donned their jerseys and cleats in early November to play in the highly anticipated Powderpuff games. Although in recent years the nature of the games have turned more serious, the message is still the same. Powderpuff is chance for girls to have fun and meet new people, while raising awareness for relevant issues in our community like feminism and breast cancer.

The games originally began as a way to celebrate Homecoming during World War II. Because most men were fighting on the battlefield, a group of women decided to hold their own football game instead. Since then, the

tradition has evolved into one of the most looked forward to events at RM. Similar to the first Powderpuff game, the girls still take part in practices in the weeks following Homecoming every year. They are coached by their grade level’s football players, and always strive to beat their rivals.

Preliminary games take place in Freshmen vs Juniors and Sophomores vs Seniors matches.

This year, the juniors and seniors won their respective matches and will advance to the “Playoff Game” to determine the overall winner.

Coach John Fahrner has been coaching and teaching at RM for decades, and has seen the concept of Powderpuff undergo many changes. When Powderpuff first appeared at RM, Farhner noted that there was a much more

lighthearted dynamic. Coach Fahrner said, “There were always good crowds and it was always a lot of fun.”

Coach Jonathan Rogers noted similar observations of the game, when he attended RM in the late ‘90s. He noted, “We [the teams] didn’t really practice for Powderpuff games, we kind of just went out and winged it.”

Yet, in recent years, the games have taken on a much more serious and competitive note, with hard practices and strong rivalries. “Now, the kids are practicing a bunch and running plays,” said Coach Rogers.

Many of the players also see the games as more than just exhibition matches. Junior Caroline Maggio remarked, “It’s a chance for girls to be able to express their athleticism and competitiveness.”

POWDERPUFF, cont. page 20

Pen Pals: Parinita shares IB experience in India

by Amanda Wu The bell rings once, rupturing a dam as hundreds of students surge through the halls, hurriedly rifling through lockers, gathering up the remnants of last night’s homework, and shuffling into first period.

doors are pulled shut. The bell rings again, and 2,450 Richard Montgomery students collectively get comfortable in their seats and settle in for another day at school.

Several continents and multiple time zones away, a similar school day has just come to a close.

Senior Parinita Bali, a fellow IB World School student in Haryana,

“Because of the kind of facilities that Gurgaon offers, it is attractive to all castes, creeds, genders, and races.”

-Parinita Bali Snippets of conversation fill the halls, but eventually die down as students are seated and

Inside The Tide...

India, has just finished a school day diligently spent ironing out the kinks of her upcoming

Opinions, 6

Should Thanksgiving be celebrated?

Theory of Knowledge conference, a culminating project that has come at long last after hundreds of hours of work in the IB Diploma Program.

Through our email correspondence over the past several weeks, she has opened up a small window into her world.

A native of Gurgaon, a bustling satellite city of metropolitan Delhi, Bali’s favourite aspect about her hometown is how inclusive it is of different cultures.

“Because of the kind of facilities that Gurgaon offers, it is attractive to all castes, creeds, genders, and races,” she explained. “Therefore, I get to interact with people who

have very different

backgrounds.”

For the past several years, she has attended Pathways

GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN

World School Aravali, one of the top international schools in all of India and the first in the region to adopt the IB curriculum.

Although located only a half-hour’s drive away from the bustling Delhi International Airport, the school itself is hidden away from the

La Marea, 9 Centerspread, 10-11

Venezuelan immigration

Oliver! cast feature

rush of city life, tucked in a scenic fold at the foothills of the strikingly beautiful Aravalli Hills.

Its 34 acres of majestic woodland are currently home to one of the most diverse educational communities, comprising of an ethnic mosaic of 1,400 students from over 40 nations.

As a founding member of both the Debate and Model U.N. clubs at Pathways, Bali is well accustomed to long hours of hard work. However, free time has recently become especially sparse for her.

PEN PALS, cont. page 12

Arts, 17

Black Friday sales analysis

2 The Tide

NEWS

MCPS bullying sparks prevention policies

by Dina Garmroudi Students across Montgomery County testified before the Montgomery County Council on Oct. 24, asking for more effective anti-bullying measures to be implemented in their schools.

Council members urged these students and students across Montgomery County to speak up, citing bills passed to protect victims of bullying and ensure that bullies are punished for their actions.

in September. These incidents have caused many students to question the effectiveness of bullying-prevention programs that are currently in place.

“I know people seek counselors for problems like this but I feel like not a whole lot is being done,” freshman Elissa Louise said. “A lot should be done because victims of bullying don’t really want to voice their opinion if they’re not comfortable talking to other people about it.”

both to the person who might be victimized and the person who might cross the line into criminal activity or into serious school discipline activity,” Smith continued.

At the end of the hearing, council members also emphasized that they would work with Dr. Smith in order to implement a “mental health triage” in the school system.

“What we’ve asked this year is for schools to begin to look at reaching a threshold so that we know certain topics are covered at every school and that we know there are a variety of activities and strategies that will be appeal to students and help students and support them,” Dr. Smith said.

“A lot should be done because victims of bullying don’t really want to voice their opinion.”

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE DINH

During their testimonies, students opened up about their past encounters with harassment and emotional or physical bullying.

In light of the recent hazing and sexual assault accusations at Damascus High School, these student testimonies were especially relevant.

On Oct. 31, several members of Damascus High School’s junior varsity football team were allegedly assaulted by their teammates in their locker room on the afternoon of Oct. 31. Five junior varsity football players have been charged with second-degre rape or attempted second-degree rape of four of their teammates.

According to WTOP, a similar incident involving sexual assault among football players had been reported at Seneca Valley High

After the incident at Damascus, a video was sent out to MCPS schools detailing the new “check-in” system that MCPS will implement in the near future to prevent students from bullying others.

MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith underscored the importance of this new implementation at the Student Member of the Board of Education Advisory Council meeting on Nov. 7.

“What [the video] said was that we will start a systematic regular check-in with all of our key groups and activities across every high school starting sometime during the month of November,” Dr. Smith said.

“When we don’t say something, the real risk is

- Elissa Louise “The more we can improve and create a warm, welcome, loving, caring climate in school, that helps with all of the social, psychological, and physical well being,” Smith added.

The system places more emphasis on the psychological wellbeing of students with the hopes that students will come forward with their issues.

While counselors are accessible, the large RM student population may make it very difficult to actually meet with them when it is most convenient.

“We have the counseling office...but often times kids are not aware of what the counselors’ schedules are,” RM junior Logan Turner-Mannix said.

November/December

November 2018

NEWS IN BRIEF

Superintendent Smith increases school pedestrian safety policies After a car hit four John F. Kennedy High School students waiting at their bus stop on Oct. 9, and another vehicle struck two Northwest students on Oct. 16, MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith started to work closely with officials to investigate ways to improve pedestrian safety.

In 2017 alone, over 3,400 pedestrians were injured in Maryland and over 100 of them were killed, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.

“Every time I get dropped off at school, I see people jaywalking.

I think we should be more cautious because you never know when a car is going to accidentally hit a student,” senior Daisy Liao said.

“These crashes are not only the fault of the car drivers but can also be a result of pedestrians forgetting to watch out.”

In an attempt to limit these pedestrian accidents, as well as student injuries, MCPS has implemented Vision Zero, a public safety initiative that will utilize education, enforcement, and traffic engineering to promote a large reduction in severe injuries and fatalities by November 2019. However, Smith intends to prevent even more crashes by raising the fine for passing a stopped school bus, calling the violation a “blatant action.” Drivers will be less encouraged to pass stopped school buses, which will put RM students in a much safer situation.

“I think rather than fining people, it’s really important to ensure that citizens initially know that this law is in place,” junior Ayesha Khawaja said. “The problem might be awareness rather than carelessness, so a better solution would be educating our adult drivers.”

by Rose Lee and Sarah Saeed Board of Education works to increase MCPS teacher diversity Seventy three percent of MCPS teachers are white, and six percent are Hispanic. The largest ethnic group in MCPS, however, are Hispanics, who, according to Bethesda Magazine, make up 32.3 percent of the student population. In 2014, the school board responded to these statistics by creating a plan to diversify teachers.

A main component of the board’s plan consisted of hiring teachers from more diverse backgrounds. The plan did not set any hard goals on how diverse MCPS staff should be or set any timeline.

Four years after the school board decided to adopt a plan, the December 2014 Teacher Workforce Diversity Strategic Plan had accomplished a four percent drop in the number of white teachers.

Parents and community leaders said it wasn’t enough.

For the 2018-2019 school year, new GRAPHIC COURTESY OF BETHESDA MAGAZINE teacher hires included 38.8 percent minorities, which, according to Montgomery County Media, marks an 11.5 percent increase from 2015.

Diversity among teachers is such a pressing issue because studies have shown that minority students who have minority teachers perform better.

A 2017 study conducted in North Carolina found that AfricanAmerican students with black teachers had a lower rate of discipline such as suspension or expulsion than did black students with white teachers.

Teacher diversity is also an important issue for Richard Montgomery students. Senior Ummara Khan comments that “MCPS prides itself on being so diverse, but when you look at the faculty, most of them are white, and I think that [lack of diversity] creates tension in the classroom,” she says.

Other students agree with Khan. “I think it could be really detrimental for students not to see more teachers of color,” comments sophomore Hannah Levy. “As we know, representation is very important.”

by Savva Brown

CORRECTIONS

Nov 22

Thanksgiving Stop, drop, and pass the rolls!

Nov 30

RM Idol It’s a yes from me.

Dec 11

Varsity Boys Basketball Home Opener Get your head in the game!

Dec 14

RocketTHON Put on your dancing shoes!

The following are corrections for Volume 43, Issue 1 (October 2018): The picture for the front page article titled “Plot Twist: Oliver! behind the scenes” should have been captioned “Senior Sherry Liang cuts a brick veneer with a jigsaw.”

The author of “MCPS distributes condoms for safety” article in the News section has a last name that is spelled Saeed, not Seed.

AWARDS Congratulations to sophomore Charlotte Turesson, who came in second place at the Maryland State Cross Country Champioinships.

Props to Richard Montgomery’s varsity football team for making it to the 2018 playoffs.

Hats off to the iGEM team for winning a bronze medal at the 2018 iGEM Jamboree competition.

Congrats to the five Model United Nations (MUN) delegates who won Best Delegate at the Wootton High School MUN conference.

Good job to the RM volleyball team for making it to the 2018 playoffs!

Kudos to the boys cross country team for winning first place at the 4A West Regional Championships.

NEWS

The Tide

Holocaust survivor provides a glimpse beyond the literature

by Grace Burwell Manny Mandel, an 82-yearold Holocaust survivor, visited RM to speak about his experience to Honors English 10 classes on Monday, Oct. 29. The visit gave the English classes an inside look into Night, a memoir by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel that is a part of the Honors English 10 curriculum.

Soon after Nazis began to round up Jews for concentration camps, Mandel and his family were sent to the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen in Germany.

Mandel described his experience at the camp as mainly boring and eventless; he was sick with pneumonia for the majority of his time at Bergen-Belsen.

Mandel now has a family

PHOTO BY MARCY FINE

Mandel discusses his Holocaust experience with sophomore students.

“My Holocaust experience of his own, and his daughter was quite different,” Mandel told attended the presentation as students. Mandel was born on May well. Mandel noted that starting 8, 1936 and grew up in Budapest, his own family remains one os Hungary, and he recounted a his most cherished memories. childhood memory that has stuck Mandel spoke to the students with him for life. not only about his personal When he and family visited his experience but also about the aunt in Hungary in 1941, police importance of remembering rounded up a large group of Jewish what happened during the residents in the area for a census. Holocaust.

“It was very unusual to have a “I find that most people are census at that time,” Mandel said. ignorant of what happened Hundreds of Jews were marched [in the Holocaust]. Become from their homes to an icy river, knowledgeable,” Mandel said. lined up, and shot. However, a “You cannot learn from the police officer pulled Mandel and future.” his family out of line, sparing them The discussion inspired from death. Mandel later found out many students and gave them that 700 Jews were killed. a better understanding of Night.

Afterward, Mandel and his “Just the fact that he was able family returned back home to to survive at such a young age Budapest, but much was changing. and be able to overcome this “I had to go to school with a yellow tragedy and still talk about it star on my chest,” Mandel said. [was impressive],” sophomore

Eric Caulfield said. “It makes a difference to hear from an actual person because they lived through it and can give you more specific details.”

Teachers talked about their opinions on Mandel’s visit as well. “The emotional discourse that needs to happen surrounding this event [the Holocaust] is really important for students to be able to experience, and the only way to do that is to hear it from an actual survivor,” English teacher Miranda McLain said. “We’re really lucky that Mr. Mandel was able to come talk to us.”

Mandel’s words are still very relevant today. During the event, they sparked conversation about how anti-Semitism fueled the mass-shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, on Oct. 27. The shooting, which killed 11 people, was determined to be a hate crime. In its aftermath, many across the country have offered support to the Jewish community.

November 2018

RTC closings rile Rockville CLOSINGS, cont. from page 1 Junior Leah Duffy agreed and said, “To solve the parking and distance problem, Montgomery County officials should get a bus like a school bus to transfer students to Rockville Town Square.”

Citizens who attended the meeting also shared their ideas for improvements. They proposed public events, reasonably priced eateries and more diverse businesses that could attract more customers to RTC, according to Bethesda Magazine.

“Anti-semitism is a disease that has been around for a very long time,” Mandel said to the students during his visit.

“There’s always a category of people who say, ‘I don’t like you.’”

libraries would provide more spots for students to connect and study after school.

“Incorporate more students activities for them to be motivated to go there and create study groups,” senior Zara Bhatti said.

PHOTO BY NYAWA ALLIEU

“It makes a difference to hear from an actual person because they lived through it.”

- Eric Caulfield

3

PHOTO BY SHANE QUERUBIN

Dawson’s Market closed last month.

While most RM students frequent the town center for the food, many feel that appealing to the student demographic more could benefit local businesses.

“We can have stores that students actually like,” junior Tanya Kibiy said. For instance, opening bookstores and more

Students walk to RTC after school.

For other students, the best thing their favorite RTC businesses can do is keep their needs in mind. “It would be really nice if there were more tables and chairs outside to study and eat,” Yung said. “That way a lot of students could spend more time at RTC, which would also benefit the stores there.”

The fate of RTC businesses could change drastically if these small but meaningful steps are taken to improve the Town Square. Mayor Bridget Newton and the Rockville City Council recently debuted an 11-point strategic business plan with both short and long term goals to revitalize the district, and hopes to gain further input from a resident-led task force. Some of these potential initiatives include eliminating the cumbersome twohour parking validation system and conducting a retail study of businesses.

The recent closings have shown that preserving local businesses carries great significance for both the Rockville and RM community.

Trump administration moves to redefine gender

by Abby Adigun

people from changing things about themselves that only they have to right to decide,” sophomore Finn Perez said.

“It’s inhibiting transgender rights.”

Under President Trump’s administration, the DHHS has had more freedom to reshape the idea of gender, stating in a memo that the Obama administration’s definition of gender was too broad and granted rights to those who “should not have them.”

There are currently two proposed legislations concerning the definition of gender identity.

With over a million transgender Americans, transgender protections have been a growing issue in the nation. Under the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) new definition of gender, the rights and protections of transgender Americans, including 150,000 transgender students, could change.

According to The New York Times, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is working to establish legal characteristics for gender under Title IX, the same law that concerns civil rights including gender discrimination.

As CNN states, the medical community distinguishes O n e between sex, the addresses bodily characteristics federal one is born with, funds for and gender, the health programs and social roles that activities, as proposed one identifies by the Department of with. The DHHS Health and Services. plans to narrow the The other regards sex definition of gender discrimination at school to what is defined at and other institutions, birth by the genitalia as proposed by of the baby. the Department This definition could of Education, restrict the rights and which includes protections of over one protections for million transgender Americans. “It stops GRAPHICS BY HELEN QIAN t r a n s g e n d e r

students to use the restroom that consistent with their gender identity.

Although the new definition of gender is still in the works, the DHHS is pushing for the Departments of Education, Justice, and Labor to adopt the definition so that courts will be more likely to accept it, according to The New York Times.

“I think that people should be able to express themselves any way that they feel comfortable.”

- Hannah Levy These proposed policies have sparked protest and debate throughout the country, and the RM community is no exception.

Many students feel that passing this legislation would hinder the future of the nation and also hurt future generations. “It would take the fight of better treatment for the community back many years and would

inspire even more hate,” junior Michael Gan said.

While this working definition may have roused partisan controversy, the DHHS’ actions follow a familiar pattern. In the past few years, the Trump administration has repealed the Obama’s administration policies on transgender protections, such as guidelines that allowed transgender students to use the bathroom of their gender identity.

Since the guidelines have been revoked, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has dismissed cases from transgender students regarding their access to bathrooms.

In addition, several agencies h a v e already begun to limit general gender protections.

According to The New York Times, under the Trump administration, these agencies have eliminated questions addressing gender identity from the 2020 census survey and a national survey for the elderly.

Students like Perez see such actions as uncalled for. “It’s information that might make opinions better to understand. If a survey asks for race, no reason why they shouldn’t ask for gender identity,” Perez said.

However, others feel that removing gender identity from surveys could also potentially bring positive impacts. “I think that in many cases it is good because it removes an implicit bias towards women and non-binary people but I also think there are some situations where we want to know the gender of the person answering in order to measure stuff,” sophomore Hannah Levy said.

If the legislation were to pass, many students at RM would undoubtedly be affected. However, no matter the outcome, much of the RM community will remain steadfast in its beliefs.

“I think that people should be able to express themselves any way that they feel comfortable,” Levy said, “and if someone feels like a man and wants to be called a man then I will think of them as a man.”

4 The Tide

OPINIONS

Cartoon Corner

“Man, senior year has me stuffed.”

Elementary schools must teach foreign languages

by Joseph Jasperse

Democrats should stop playing identity politics

by Rithik Patel After losing the 2016 elections to a reality television star with no prior political knowledge, the Democratic Party was shocked. Some Democrats deflected the blame on outside forces, such as Russia, instead of reflecting on their own faults. One critical mistake made by the Democrats was their use of identity politics: the tendency for minorities to isolate themselves from the overall voting base.

Because of its alienation of crucial voting groups, Democrats should stop using this controversial approach in future elections.

Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign is a striking example of the ineffectiveness of identity politics. She sought after the votes of minorities like African-Americans, Latinos, the LGBT community and women. This strategy was embraced by political commentators and Democratic strategists who felt the party needed to cater to minority communities because they represented the majority of the American electorate.

After Clinton won the Democratic nomination, she did not campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin, two states that later significantly impacted the election.

Instead, her campaign invested resources in traditionally Republican states, such as Texas, Georgia and Arizona, with rapidly increasing numbers of minority voters.

These tactics by the Clinton campaign later proved to be a pivotal mistake.

Such tactics by the Clinton campaign not only lost those traditionally Republican states three states but also the Rust Belt state firewall (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio), which had gone blue in previous presidential elections.

Some argue that Trump won because of his appeal to racist white votes and his hardline immigration policies. While this argument has merit, it simply ignores the fact that Trump also campaigned on

November 2018

a populist economic platform which attracted many supporters. He constantly stressed class-related issues, such as keeping manufacturing jobs, which inherently appealed to Americans across racial and gender lines. He was able to capture 9 percent of voters who voted for Barack Obama in 2012, proving that racism was not the only factor in his victory.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton’s use of the slogan “I’m with her,” and her campaigning with celebrities like LeBron James in an attempt to boost turnout among black voters, backfired. It caused Trump voters to believe that she was an out-of-touch coastal elitist who did not

Foreign language is one of the most neglected aspects of our education system. Montgomery County Public Schools only require two years of world language classes to graduate, and most students barely retain the language after high school.

Our world is becoming more interconnected by the minute. A globally connected future is inevitable. Therefore, students should be taught foreign language as early as possible.

Studies have shown that the earlier a child starts to learn a language, the easier it is for them to retain it. Researchers from Foreign Language Annals found that starting to learn a foreign language in middle school increases fluency while speaking that language.

The same research also found that older people tend to resort more to rule-based learning, a process much more tedious for absorbing a language. This research has conclusively demonstrated that younger people master languages more effectively, meaning early education is crucial to the development of language skills.

This phenomenon is present at our own school. Sophomore Janna Stewartson said she lacks the proper foundation and often struggles in her current Spanish classes.

Starting Spanish in seventh grade was already too late for Stewartson, who now must memorize content she does not have the foundation for. Unfortunately, many students start learning a second language even later and have an even more difficult time grasping the new language.

The advantages of starting earlier extend far beyond biology. In elementary school, students are much less grade-oriented.

They are more focused on learning and absorbing the new material instead of memorizing vocabulary and sentence structures for an upcoming assessment.

Sophomore Chris Ma, another student currently enrolled in language classes,

agrees that acquiring a new language earlier is important and would have benefitted him greatly. The interest of younger students in picking up a new language has the potential to propel their learning. As in all things, understanding a new language takes dedication and interest, and it is important that schools make avenues available to pursue these interests from a young age.

One may argue that in fact there already are avenues for this, in the form of elementary school immersion programs which completely immerse students in a foreign language for part of the day.

However, these programs are not widely available, and many parents are unaware of or unable to send their children to the few schools that offer them. We must expand these programs, so all interested students have easy access to immersion programs.

PHOTO BY REBECCA HUANG

RM mural celebrates foreign languages.

Language classes also teach students about culture; they expose students to a culture completely distinct from their own.

Culture is a crucial component of language classes. This cultural education fosters understanding of different people, which is crucial for students to learn at a young age.

In our increasingly interconnected world, foreign languages are as important as English or math,which are taught early in a child’s life. In such a diverse area, it is necessary that young students understand those from different backgrounds.

Language encourages both communication and cultural understanding, a bridge that must be built early on in a student’s life.

The Tide 250 Richard Montgomery Drive Rockville, Maryland 20852 www.thermtide.com 301-610-8000 The Tide is the student newspaper of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland.

The Tide is dedicated to keeping the Richard Montgomery school community accurately informed and to providing a forum for student expression.

650 copies of the newspaper are printed and distributed among students.

GRAPHIC FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

speak to their concerns.

Proponents claim that identity politics are crucial to minorities because of historical marginalization and a greater need for justice. However, this leads to greater political polarization for the majority, for they feel that politicians are prioritizing others’ interests over their own. Despite this, opponents of identity politics believe police brutality, the War on Drugs and the lack of sexual orientation anti-discrimination laws should be addressed.

However, these policies only affect certain segments of the population and should not be the party’s only focus.

In contrast, economic policies, such as tax cuts, affect all Americans. Future Democratic candidates should focus more on issues that transcend race and class.

The Democrats must learn from the failures of 2016 if they want to be competitive in future elections. They must become an inclusive party that welcomes

Any corrections are printed in the following issue on page 2.

The opinions presented in The Tide do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and administration at Richard Montgomery.

The Tide is affliated with ASPA, CSPA, and NSPA. Questions, concerns, and suggestions on articles, advertisements, and photos can be submitted to thetideeditors@gmail.com.

Editors-in-Chief....................................................................................Angela Sun, Emily Tian, Derek Yao Business Manager......................................................................................................................Michelle Ling News.............................................................................................Anna Chen. Robyn Fohouo, Helen Qian Opinions.................................................................................Rebecca Huang, Shevani Tewari, Ashley Ye Center Spread................................................................................................Angela Mu, Maureen Zeufack La Marea.......................................................................................................Daniel Lopez, Daniela Moreira Features.........................................................................................................................Tesia Shi, Emily Zhao Arts..........................................................................................Emily Chen, Isabella Levine, Christine Zhu Photo...........................................................................................................................Emily Chen, Isha Yardi Graphics..........................................................................................................Lanchi Nguyen, Valerie Wang Sports...................................................................................................Orrin Ni, Clare Zhang, Justin Zhang Digital Art Specialists..............................................................................................Alana Lu, Valerie Wang Social Media Managers.........................................................Ananya Krishnan, Angela Mu, Katie Zhang Faculty Advisors.............................................Ms. Laurie Brown, Ms. Jennifer Kidd, Mrs. Bonnie Peyer

The Tide

OPINIONS

November 2018

5

Black & Gold

Should Thanksgiving be celebrated?

G

Yes, it is a day of love and gratitude No, it glorifies violence and hatred

by Arushi Singh What comes to mind upon hearing the word Thanksgiving? Is it the plethora of food spread across the table? The gathering of family members under one roof? Or simply a break from school and its stressful workload? Though there are various interpretations to the meaning of this holiday, almost all can agree that as in its name, it is a time to give thanks.

Thanksgiving marks the anniversary of the first autumn harvest celebration by the Pilgrims, who settled at Plymouth Plantation in 1621, as a day to thank God for blessings and the Wampanoag Native Americans for helping them start lives in the New World.

In our current society, it is too easy to view the world pessimistically. However, Thanksgiving prompts us to reflect upon the positive aspects of our lives and relight a beacon of hope. Sophomore Bianca Romano said, “It’s hard to appreciate how much you have when it’s all you know but Thanksgiving is a great reminder to reflect about what I have and have experienced.”

GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

Furthermore, Thanksgiving encourages families to come together and spend time with one another, which may not be feasible at other times in the year.

According to the AAA, over 46.9 billion people traveled more than fifty miles to meet family on Thanksgiving! It is truly is a time for recognition of the source of the blessings people enjoy year-round.

Unlike most other well-known holidays, Thanksgiving is secular, which allows people from all backgrounds to take part in the festival and creates a feeling of community. Though turkeys are often associated with Thanksgiving, there is no predefined way to celebrate, and families can create their own unique traditions whether that relates to what foods are being cooked or which activities to partake in. This allows families with different household budgets and religions to feel included and create traditions that can be passed down over the generations.

In addition to the emotional benefits, there are health benefits associated with Thanksgiving. In a 2003 study, gratitude experts Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis and Michael McCullough of the University of Miami concluded that people who shared their feelings of gratitude exercised more and reported fewer physical problems. The study compared a group of individuals

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Black

who took time out of their day to give thanks with those who do not and found that there were 23 percent lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and a seven percent reduction in biomarkers of inflammation in patients with congestive heart failure from the group that shared gratitude.

Additionally, according studies conducted by both the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Harvard Medical School, feelings of gratitude for even one day can stimulate productivity, boost energy levels, and strengthen relationships. Sophomore Jamie Shawn said, “My family goes on hikes together and my ice hockey team plays flag football as a team bonding exercise during Thanksgiving.”

The positivity of this holiday encourages people to volunteer or do other acts of kindness. Meals on Wheels, Feeding America, or Nourish Now, all of which amass their greatest amounts of volunteers on Thanksgiving day.

Those opposed to the celebration of this holiday frequently refer to the history of the Native Americans. It is indeed true that some Native Americans consider Thanksgiving to be a celebration of the cultural genocide and conquest of Native Americans by colonists, though it is often overlooked that many Native Americans also support its celebration. Jacqueline Keeler wrote a widely circulated editorial about why she, a member of the Dineh Nation Native American territory and Yankton Dakota Sioux tribe, celebrates the holiday; the Thanksgiving she recognizes is a revisionist one as she believes that Thanksgiving should be celebrated while also taking into account the selfless nature of her Native American ancestors. In addition, award-winning author Sherman Alexie, who is Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, also celebrates Thanksgiving by recognizing the contributions the Wampanoag people made to the Pilgrims.

The resilience of Native American through numerous hardships, such as genocide and forced relocation, combined with their unwavering, generous nature demonstrates that healing is possible.

“Thanksgiving is a great reminder to reflect about what I have and have experienced.”

- Bianca Romano Among many Native Americans, generosity is the way to earn respect. Tim Giago, founder of the Native American Journalists Organization, seeks to reconcile Thanksgiving with Native American traditions by comparing Thanksgiving to Wopila, a celebration of thanks practiced

by Native Americans of the Great Plains.

It is important to understand that today the holiday is not meant to glorify cruel treatment towards Native Americans. This holiday has evolved into one being used to impart positivity and thankfulness.

Instead of focusing on whether should we celebrate Thanksgiving, we should focus on what we are celebrating on Thanksgiving: love and respect for others, family connections, generosity, and an opportunity to express gratitude. Focusing on the right qualities of compassion, appreciation, and gratitude is the essence to evolve a humanitarian and empathetic social network. It is simply impossible to disregard the assets of Thanksgiving, without which the holiday season would seem much more grim.

by Faith Cheung Ask any American what Thanksgiving means, and they will all say the same: it’s a time to give thanks. But where did Thanksgiving come from? Labor Day is a day to celebrate working classes; Independence Day is for the commemoration of the Declaration of Independence, so it should not be a surprise that Thanksgiving represents more than merely turkey.

In American elementary schools, Thanksgiving is portrayed as a sacrosanct American holiday. While creating paperplate turkeys, young minds are impressed with idealized images of indigenous peoples and pilgrims sharing a feast, but are never shown the real, malicious relationship between the settlers and Native Americans.

America’s reaction to Thanksgiving is similar to that of Columbus Day. All citizens rejoice in Columbus’ discovery and the founding of America when in reality, his unearthing of America caused millions of indigenous people to become enslaved, tortured, raped, and killed.

The Europeans also brought diseases with them, like smallpox. According to Russell Peters, a Native American rights advocate from Massachusetts, the spread of disease was often delibrate: some even distributed diseased blankets to unsuspecting Wampanoags, killing entire villages. Yet, despite the pain and suffering caused to the natives, people still celebrate Columbus and recognize him as a respectable hero of America.

Thanksgiving, much like Columbus Day, has bloody roots. Thanksgiving originated from pilgrims giving thanks because their militia had returned safely after invading the Pequot, a local indigenous tribe. According to the Huffington Post, this event, first known as the Pequot Massacre, led directly to the creation of ‘Thanksgiving Day.’ Days after the massacre, the governor of the Bay Colony said, “A day of thanksgiving.

Thanking God that they had eliminated over 700 men, women and children.”

While Americans name it as a day of thanks, the United American Indians of New England organization tells us that some Indians spend Thanksgiving as a national day of mourning and hold an annual ceremony at Plymouth Rock. To certain indigenous peoples, this day is called “Black Thursday” to commemorate the hundreds of Native Americans lost at the hands of white settlers.

Schools minimize the cruelty of the genocides Puritans executed by telling students that Puritans’ did not want to share any land with other religious groups, so they killed them off. This ridiculous concept portrays the Puritans as settlers who were solely being loyal to their religion while portraying indigenous groups as outsiders or even enemies.

After learning about Thanksgiving’s true origins, sophomore Maggie Zhang said, “This holiday is an embarrassment to America. It reflects badly on us to other nations and is salt in the wound for Native Americans. Knowing this holiday is tainted makes me feel guilty and sympathetic to all natives I am disrespecting when I celebrate.” Thanksgiving shouldn’t be a matter of feasts anymore. With every bite of turkey, we put America more to shame.

Although some may say that Thanksgiving is a reminder to be thankful, the tradition of giving thanks is tainted. The pilgrims who started this holiday were not innocently giving thanks for their families and friends, they were rejoicing in the safe return of their militia after massacring of 700 indigenous people. Whether they know

Gold it or not, as families go around the dinner table and name things they are thankful for, they unwittingly base it on the violent precedent set by the pilgrims.

From Columbus’ abuse to the lack of security and infrastructure in today’s Indian reservations, the United States is notorious for being less than sympathetic to native peoples. Native Partnership shows us that living conditions on the reservations have been considered comparable to the Third World, lacking necessary nutrients and housing because of the United States government’s negligent policies.

Sophomore Nandita Gallacher stated, “America has attempted to mend relationships with many other minority groups such as African Americans or women, but have not made nearly as many bold steps to fix our relationship with Native Americans. Arguably, they were a group we had one of the worst relations with, making it all the more ridiculous that we aren’t working to solace our past.”

Our relationship with Native Americans has been extremely antagonistic. Native Americans have been purposely excluded from the political sphere. The Constitution allowed states to decide who had the right to vote. According to the Library of Congress, “After the passage of the 1924 citizenship bill, it still took over forty years for all fifty states to allow Native Americans to vote.”

The states’ reluctance to grant rights to Native Americans shows that even after battles for land between settlers and Native Americans, discrimination remains.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA CREATIVE COMMONS

This political oppression is still present today. For example, North Dakota recently renewed a policy where they required street addresses on voter IDs. This law specifically deters Native Americans from voting, since they live on reservations and therefore do not have a street address, so they cannot register to vote.

With this history of hostility to groups of indigenous peoples, the annual celebration of Thanksgiving celebrates and perpetuates a culture marginalizing minorities.

Unfortunately, America unrepentantly sustains a culture of ignorance and refusal to recognize past mistakes, leading to the continuous oppression of all minorities.

Time and time again, America has bolstered its alienation of Native Americans, whether it be through a restricting law or an ill-conceived holiday.

Recognizing the day of Thanksgiving with a more fitting and respectful name like “National Indigenous Peoples Genocide Day” would be a start in the right direction after centuries of disdain.

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The Tide

OPINIONS

November 2018

The Tide’s View: Stop the constant evaluation of students

by The Tide Editorial Staff High school students face mounting pressures, including college admissions, test scores, and grades. The RM administration has tried to alleviate some stress with a new emphasis on mental health.

However, numerous awards programs at RM contradict that very message, and instead, perhaps inadvertently, foster an environment of hypercompetition that makes students feel unwelcome.

Last school year, the RM International Baccalaureate office introduced four new awards: best Extended Essay (EE), best Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), best Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and best overall IB learner awards. The EE, CAS and TOK programs represent the three pillars of the IB. These three awards are each given to one student, and the best overall IB learner awards are given to two students of different genders.

The intention of these awards is to recognize students who show dedication to IB’s core, and incentivize other students to value it similarly. “We just wanted to reward the student who showed up to class everyday really excited [and] really invested,” IB coordinator Nancy Shay said.

“We also decided to celebrate students who consistently showed the IB learner profile and appreciation of the approaches

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

The IB awards plaque outside of the IB Office features winners from 2018. to teaching and learning,” she continued.

Another major part of the evaluation is whether or not the student submits their materials on time.

While this might seem like a noble crusade, these awards problematically disregard the reality of student competition and instead worsen it. These awards favor the IB office at the expense of the student community, as these awards are meant to pressure students to meet deadlines rather than celebrate their work.

Despite the close friendships and camaraderie, in reality, the IB community is riddled with toxic competition. Often pitted against each other over college admissions, students can easily fall into the trap of pushing others down to get ahead.

Although this can be largely attributed to the students’ own mentalities, it is the faculty’s responsibility to discourage it rather than introduce new awards for the “best” this and the “best” that. These awards should be abandoned for the same exact reason as to why RM does not select valedictorians or release class rankings.

Ms. Shay denies that the awards create toxic competition. “I’d say unhealthy competition would make me really sad but competition to see who’s most invested and most engaged and most determined to meet deadlines and in a serious, authentic and honest fashion feels like a healthy constructive competition to me,” Ms. Shay said. Celebrating good work is wonderful, but there are other ways to do that.

Furthermore, the motivation behind these awards is questionable. “There are a lot of kids who miss lot of deadlines unfortunately. We’ll find out this year— maybe it’ll be so much better in terms of hitting deadlines [but it may also be] much harder and we may need to do something a little bit differently like add a few nameplates,” Ms. Shay said. Although well-intentioned, Ms. Shay reveals how these awards act as an incentive to meet

logistical deadlines over anything else.

These awards also promote an environment in which teachers are constantly evaluating students. Though it is natural for teachers to notice excellent students, awards that encourage teachers to reduce students from human beings into candidates for a race should not exist.

“So now that we’ve created these awards, from day one when I was teaching my senior and my junior classes, I was like ‘this is going to be tough this year,’ because now I’m thinking in terms of, ‘who are those people?’ and now I see so many great candidates,” Ms. Shay said.

Cultivating an environment in which students are instantly subjects for study eliminates the possibility of an open learning environment.

However, if these awards stay, students must not insult the winners. The students who receive them are hardworking, and should be celebrated as such.

Nevertheless, why can’t we celebrate all students? Leave the reviewing of students to colleges and let the teachers treat students without instant judgement from ‘day one.’ More than five students can have meaningful experiences in the MYP and IB programs, and certainly more than two students can exhibit the learner profile. The growing number of these awards threaten the integrity of the community in which young adults come of age and are in their most formative years.

Get your vaccinations— public health depends on it

by Myka Fromm None of us like getting needles stabbed into our arms for the sake of preventing a disease we probably cannot pronounce and may never contract. Vaccines, however, are crucial for both your health and the health of the public.

Historically, many have thought that vaccines could have adverse effects, such as speculation since the early ‘90s that vaccines were causing autism. But that belief has been thoroughly disproven. Today, the more common belief is that some vaccines, like ones for a predicted strand of the flu, are not getting the job done because vaccinated people may still get infected that year.

“The flu vaccine this year doesn’t work,” freshman Johnathan Sun said, “because they don’t vaccinate you against the correct variations of the flu.” Freshman Charles Liang added, “We guess how the virus is going to evolve, but we guessed it wrong.” The CDC admits that flu shots are not always perfect and that vaccines work differently for different people, and because of this, vaccinations may not always be successful for each and every individual.

GRAPHIC BY ALANA LU

Despite this, the flu vaccine can dramatically decrease the impact of the disease. According to an estimate by the CDC, in the 2015-2016 flu season, the flu shot prevented over five million cases of the flu and 3,000 flu-related deaths.

If populations are not protected by vaccines, the flu could have taken all of those lives because it is so highly contagious.

Getting the vaccine can also decrease the severity of the flu while you have it, as the CDC says that receiving a flu vaccine reduces the number of deaths and ICU admissions.

Moreover, when you get vaccinated, you protect others. This is a phenomenon known as “herd immunity:” If you get vaccinated, you strengthen the health of the “herd.” If you do not, even if you remain healthy, you risk spreading the disease to weaker, less healthy people, to whom it could be fatal. “Even individuals who are unable to get the vaccine receive some protection since the spread of the contagious disease is contained,” said Dr. John Joseph II, MD, a physician from Killeen, Texas, in an interview with the

“Even individuals who are unable to get the vaccine receive some protection” - Dr. John Joseph II, MD Dallas Morning News.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, only about a third of adults get vaccinated for the flu each year, compared to about 48 percent of children between the ages of six months and 17 years and about 68 percent of people over the age of 64.

Unfortunately, most people do not take the flu seriously until they realize its lethality. We tend to underestimate the power of the flu simply because of how common it is.

The same New York Times article pointed out that tens of thousands of people in our country die from the flu each year, compared to just two people who have died from Ebola in the US, according to ABC News. But the article reminded us that our country focused so much more intently on eradicating Ebola, an unknown, foreign disease.

Even if you do not think the flu will affect you, get your vaccine to protect the herd. Our public health is relying on you.

Harvard staunchly denies wrongdoing and discrmination in their admissions process.

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Colleges need to end bias against Asian-Americans

by Victoria Tong To consider race or not to consider race?

The recent class action suit against Harvard raised this question in college admissions.

The plaintiff, Students for Fair Admissions, argued that Harvard’s affirmative action policies are discriminatory, which Harvard denies.

Ultimately, the plaintiff is arguing to get rid of affirmative action.

However, this lawsuit should not be about whether or not affirmative action must go; it should focus more on the alleged intentional discrimination against Asian Americans.

The issues of affirmative action and Harvard’s supposed anti-Asian-American bias must be separated. Affirmative action should not be removed—I, and many other Asian-Americans, actually agree affirmative action is needed. The discrimination that African Americans and Latinos have experienced, and are still experiencing cannot be ignored.

“A certain degree of affirmative action is absolutely necessary.”

- Courtney Kim “A certain degree of affirmative action is absolutely necessary, as we cannot continue neglecting those who have suffered through historical disadvantages,” freshman Courtney Kim said.

However, there are startling statistics

about Asian American applicants to Harvard that were released in the lawsuit.

According to a 2013 internal investigation

by Harvard’s Office of Institutional Research, although Asian applicants were rated higher than white applicants in many categories, including SAT scores, academics, and extracurriculars, AsianAmerican applicants were admitted at a far lower rate.

Unsettlingly, one area where Asian applicants were ranked far below white applicants was in the personal rating, implying that Harvard generally considers Asian applicants to be less positive, kind, and likeable than other applicants. “[Harvard’s bias against Asian applicants] takes a toll for Asian students to strive even harder to be accepted into prestigious colleges,” Kim said. Asian students must go to great lengths to show that they don’t fall into the stereotypes assumed of them.

Some argue that Asian-American students are “privileged” because of economic status. But this “privilege” should not discredit the amount of hard work Asian American students still need to put in for their academic achievements.

There are numerous historical instances of Asian American discrimination, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. The issue of Harvard’s anti-Asian bias in admissions cannot be ignored. However, correcting this issue does not have to eliminate affirmative action. The solution is for Harvard to stop judging Asian American applicants based on harmful stereotypes and start treating them as no lesser than white applicants.

The Tide

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November 2018

*Publications of advertisements are not political endorsements of any candidate by The Tide or the administration of RMHS.

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LA MAREA

Noviembre 2018

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Sra. Leckie y su nueva biblioteca de libros diversos por Sandra Aching Sra. Leckie cree que una biblioteca cultural hace falta en las clases de inglés.

Así mismo, en la clase de inglés, los estudiantes usualmente aprenden sobre la literatura tradicional de los Estados Unidos con protagonistas que encajan las mismas descripciones y tienen lugar en las mismas escenas. De lo cual, nos ha limitado a conocer e interpretar otros autores o poetas, a nivel internacional. Pero nuestro colegio tiene alumnos que vienen de culturas diversas. Viendo esta falacia en el currículo de Inglés, la profesora de ingles, Señora Susan Leckie, ha empezado un estante, una biblioteca multicultural, con libros escritos por autores Latinos y Afroamericanos. Con su experimento, Leckie ha dado la oportunidad que sus estudiantes ampliarán sus conocimientos sobre la literatura a nivel mundial.

Señora Leckie explica que, “[Notó que sus] estudiantes, especialmente los de décimo grado, no tenían el acceso a libros que tenían personajes que se parecía a ellos, o que se expresaban como ellos, y con quien se podian conectar.” Dijo que, “[Realice] una investigación para una mi título de maestría, y [encontré] que cuando los estudiantes tenían acceso a libros con personajes de raza negra o latinoamericanos, estaban más dispuestos a leer, y decidí implementarlo en mi clase.”

Así mismo, Señora Leckie, con la ayuda de Donors Choose, una organización que es dirigida por cuatro profesores de inglés, pudo adquirir los libros para iniciar una

biblioteca pequeña en su clase.

Las selecciones de libros en el estante refleja la influencia en los hábitos literarios de los estudiantes de Señora Leckie. Ella describió que, “...al finalizar el primer semestre del año pasado, les realice una encuesta, donde les pregunté cuántos libros había leído en el grado noveno, donde muchos respondieron que solamente uno.

Después, les pregunté cuántos libros habían leído este año, donde en solo unas semanas habían leído hasta cuatro a cinco libros.”

Claramente esto señala un gran mejoría en los estudiantes causado por la biblioteca de Señora Leckie. Por lo tanto, este cambio a resultado en motivar los estudiantes a leer.

FOTO POR MIRA KUX

El estante alberga libros de autores diversos Respecto a cómo reaccionaron los estudiantes a este cambio drástico, Señora Leckie detalló que, “Les gusta mucho tener opciones para lo que quieren leer, y están más enfocados en el contexto. Hay un gran cambio cuando les asignó un libro a que ellos lean independientemente. Yo los animo a leer más independientemente porque, eso les ayuda a crear un hábito para leer más.

Los estamos preparando para que puedan desarrollar su comprensión, como también ampliar sus conocimientos de diferentes

culturas.” Así mismo, agregó que, “los estudiantes se enfocan más cuando logran relacionarse con los personajes del libro, y también los libros sirven como ventanas donde se puede ver diferentes puntos de vista y interpretar situaciones diferentes.”

Keiry García, un estudiante del doceavo grado, expresó que, “Es una buena opción, ... hace que un pueda entender y aprender sobre situaciones que uno quizas todavía no ha vivido. A veces uno puede pensar que todos pasan la misma experiencia porque vienen de una misma cultura, pero cada experiencia en realidad es totalmente diferente, entonces eso a mi parecer te ayuda a empatizar con las lecturas.”

Jasmin Heredia, también una estudiante del doceavo grado, está a favor de este tipo de implementación porque sería beneficioso en sus salones. Heredia dijo que, “Sería muy interesante tratar de que los profesores nos enseñan sobre diversas culturas ya que hay tanta diversidad estudiantil en el colegio.” Es verdad que aunque no hay que distanciarnos de la literatura estadounidense, ya que es también la cultura en la que nos entorna, es importante dar a notar que existen también otras culturas que están presentes en la comunidad de RM y en el país.

Aunque todavía no se ha visto un cambio en todos las clases, es bueno saber que los profesores cada dia estan tratando de mejorar la experiencia de los estudiantes. Estos tipos de cambios ayudan a influenciar a otros a seguir y también a beneficiar nuestra comunidad, llenando a los estudiantes con más conocimientos sobre el mundo y las culturas a las que se entornan aquí en RM.

Inmigrantes de Venezuela: vivían en caos por Rachel Frampton A medida que el mundo se centra en las controversias que rodean la inmigración a los Estados Unidos con la administración actual, más al sur de América, hay una inmigración masiva y silenciosa desde Venezuela hacia otros países latinoamericanos.

María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, el ministro de relaciones exteriores de Columbia, estima que en el 2021, habrá más de cuatro millones inmigrantes venezolanos en Colombia, a un costo de alrededor de nueve mil millones de dólares, de acuerdo con Reuters. Esta crisis ha llegado a tal magnitud que el presidente Colombiano, Juan Manuel Santos, ha solicitado ayuda de las organizaciones mundiales para combatir esta crisis humanitaria. La crisis migratoria es comparable a la de los Sirios en Alemania

GRÁFICO POR KISHA YAN

o la de los Rohingyas en Bangladesh, dos de los movimientos de éxodo más famosos en la historia actual.

En este momento, hay alrededor de un millón de venezolanos en Colombia, país que tiene una población total de alrededor de 50 millones. Colombia ha

sido el país que recibe la mayoría de estos refugiados debido a la gran extensión fronteriza que ambos países comparten y la falta de vigilancia, un problema que sigue empeorando. Nicolás Maduro, el presidente autoritario de Venezuela, ha tratado de negar públicamente estas afirmaciones de esta crisis humanitaria y económica diciendo que son “Fake News” las que intentan justificar la intervención extranjera en sus asuntos.

La razón principal de esta inmigración es la incapacidad del gobierno para satisfacer las necesidades básicas de sus ciudadanos, y así ha causado una gran infracción en sus derechos humanos. Una historia de malas políticas ha golpeado al país muy fuerte en los últimos años, causando una hiperinflación con su sistema monetario, el bolívar, y ha hecho más difícil que la gente compre lo que necesite y que el gobierno adquiera recursos de otros países. Los líderes intentaron establecer un sistema de raciones para controlar cuántos recursos recibía cada familia, pero las tiendas y supermercados no tenían alimentos suficientes para la gente. Los venezolanos están abandonando sus hogares y familiares para encontrar las necesidades básicas que se necesitan para sobrevivir.

Otro problema importante en el país es la opresión de la libertad de expresión. Debido a los problemas políticos, económicos y sociales presentes en el país, los ciudadanos han tomado a las calles para protestar por su maltrato e insatisfacción con la forma en que el gobierno está dirigiendo el país.

Estos manifestantes se han enfrentado a la policía, y la violencia y el largo tiempo de cárcel son injustificables. Cualquiera que se pronuncie contra el gobierno corre el riesgo de ser castigado con sus vidas simplemente porque no está de acuerdo con cómo el gobierno les está tratando.

En pocas palabras, los venezolanos están abandonando su país debido a la falta de las oportunidades, ya sea para ser saludables, seguros o libres para expresar sus opiniones sin castigo. Muchos

estudiantes de Richard Montgomery han enfrentado situaciones similares. Elyssa Lou, una estudiante de duodécimo grado y una inmigrante de las Filipinas, dijo que, “Mi hermana y yo estábamos en la escuela y mi madre quería asegurarse de que teníamos una buena educación.” Su familia hizo el cambio para buscar oportunidades mejores, pero algunos inmigrantes se ven obligados a abandonar sus países como los venezolanos, debido a la necesidad. Malsha Perera, una estudiante del doceavo grado e inmigrante de Sri Lanka dice que su familia

“Mis padres querían que tuviéramos una vida mejor en los Estados Unidos.”

- Malsha Perera se fue porque, “...la situación política no era muy buena, estábamos en ... una guerra civil. Mis padres querían que tuviéramos una vida mejor en los Estados Unidos.”

Si bien aquí presentamos muchas historias sobre inmigrantes que se adaptan con éxito a sus nuevas vidas al extranjero, las historias que con mayor frecuencia se pasan por alto son aquellas en las que la integración en la nueva sociedad es difícil. Perera dijo que, “Después de crecer principalmente en los Estados Unidos, es un poco extraño cuando estás en in lugar entre ser estadounidense y de Sri Lanka, y no ser reconocido por ambas partes.”

Necesitamos darnos cuenta que este cambio también es difícil para las personas, y que necesitan apoyo tanto como los gobiernos para controlar la situación. La inmigración venezolana a Colombia no parece ser un problema que terminará pronto, y es vital que el mundo preste atención a esta crisis para apoyar a los inmigrantes y terminar el problema que los obliga a irse de sus países de origen.

Si la biblioteca de Señora Leckie te parece interesante, aquí hay resúmenes cortas de los libros escrito por autores latinoamericanos. No te olvides de pasar por el cuarto 163 para prestar uno de estos libros diversos.

El Poeta X por Elizabeth Acevedo A través de una serie de poemas, Acevedo cuenta la historia de Xiomara Batista, hija de padres Dominicanas, que vive en Harlem, Nueva York.

Xiomara siempre ha sentido que nadie le quería escuchar, entonces adoptó una fachada resistente contra las personas que la discriminaban. Pero debajo de su exterior existe una chica que se quería expresar, y cuando descubre su afinidad a la poesía, empieza a escribir todos sus ideas en su cuaderno de cuero. Aunque parece que su madre y la sociedad no están listos para escuchar sus poemas, Xiomara no quiere seguir silenciada.

Aristóteles y Dante descubren los secretos del universo por Benjamin Alire Sáenz Aristóteles Mendoza es un joven introvertido, pero irritado en su situación y porque su hermano está en la cárcel. Un dia se encuentra con Dante, un chico que es expresivo y tiene una perspectiva única del mundo. Aunque no tienen mucho en común, los jóvenes forman una amistad entrañable. Con su nueva amistad, Aristóteles y Dante aprenden más sobre sus identidades y lo que quieren hacer en el futuro, y así descubrirán los secretos del universo.

El libro de los americanos desconocidos por Cristina Henríquez Arturo y Alma Rivera vivian prósperos y ricos en México por todas sus vidas, pero después de un accidente grave, su hija Maribel recibe una lesión craneal. La familia decide mudarse a los Estados Unidos para que se recupera la niña, pero el cambio de vida es muy difícil. Fortunadamente, se encuentran con una familia panameña, los Toros, que los empieza ayudar, pero la situación se complica cuando Mayor Toro, el hijo joven de la familia Toro, se enamora de Maribel. En esta tragedia romántico, Henriquez captura los sentidos de familias inmigrantes y sus experiencias cuando viajan por primera vez a los Estados Unidos.

No soy tu perfecta mexicana por Erika L. Sánchez

hija

Julia siempre pensaba que la perfecta hija mexicana ha sido la descripción de Olga, su hermana mayor. Pero después de un accidente trágico y fatal, Olga falleció, y dejo Julia con la responsabilidad de recuperar la mentalidad de su familia. Aunque su familia no lo ve, Julia está sufriendo y siente que el dolor que siente su Madre lo está dirigiendo a ella. Pero poco tiempo pasa antes de que Julia se entera que Olga tenía unos secretos, y no era la imagen de perfección que antes tenía de su hermana. Con la ayuda de su mejor amiga Lorena y su novio Connor, Julia está determinada descubrir el personaje misterioso de su hermana, mientras que ella misma lucha con la hija ideal quien sus padres quiere que sea.

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CENTERSPREAD

The Tide

November 2018

11/11, 11/16

Keira DiGaetano

What’s something memorable that happened during rehearsal?

Every time we run this fight scene, something new and awful always happens. There’s a lot of falling. There’s a lot of not knowing if Reggie will catch me. There’s a lot of Reggie dropping me. It’s very amusing. I would say every time Reggie has almost dropped me or actually dropped me. Great times.

What’s your favorite aspect of show nights aside from the actual performance itself?

Green Room is wonderful. That’s a drama club ritual. You gotta join drama club to get in on that.

Intermission is also really fun. We all build up energy.

Claire Gelillo

CENTERSPREAD

The Tide

11/9, 11/17

Allison Mintz

What’s your least favorite thing about your character?

What I don’t like about my character is how she feels that she needs other people to be happy. There’s a part where she says “If you’re lonely, then you will know. When someone needs you, you love them so.”

What do you have in common with your character?

Something that I have in common with Nancy is she has a lot of goals and aspirations and is not afraid to stick up for herself. Also she’s not afraid to have fun.

How were auditions for you?

During the auditions, I didn’t really feel that confident going into it, but when I performed “As Long as He Needs Me” for the audition, it was one of those magical moments in theater where things just sort of fall into place.

What’s your favorite scene in the musical?

I really like stage combat. I’m never doing anything to anyone else. It’s always me getting beaten up, so like slapped, pushed, and then killed. I just love that stuff. It always makes the audience gasp and be like “oh no!” even though really I’m fine.

Nick Leiva

How did you feel about playing a villain?

I really liked that I got to play a really raw villain. You don’t know why he is the way he is.

You just see the outcome of either his speckled childhood or something else.

What’s something about you that people might not know?

I get stage fright very easily... I get very scared, but I realize that it’s gonna be fun and I’m gonna make it fun. That’s usually how I get through it.

What was something exciting that happened while putting the show together?

When I first got my [toy] cudgel (bat) and I tried hitting someone with it, and it squeaked!

Tudor Postalache

Reggie Shardow

What was the most embarrassing thing that happened while putting the show together?

At the beginning of tech rehearsal, I was stuck with this really bad pair of pants that was zipped up with little clip-on buttons. There was one scene where Oliver had to pull handkerchiefs from my pocket. So when he did that, he ended up ripping out the buttons, and for a moment, people from the audience could see that I was wearing red underwear.

What’s your favorite aspect of your character?

I definitely like Mr. Sowerberry’s love for coffins and funerals because he is so happy to be talking and singing about it that it seems so out of place.

What’s the funniest thing that happened during rehearsal?

A good time was when I was resting in my newly made coffin, and then some crew members trapped me there for a bit. Set construction is scary!

Who’s the funniest person on the cast?

I’d say Reggie Shardow. He’s a really nice guy, and he’s always fooling around or being silly backstage.

Lilah Katz

What are your thoughts on your character?

I really like that even though she’s a 15-yearold prostitute who lives on the streets and has a terrible life, she still remains optimistic. I think that’s cute. It’s a good look on her.

What’s your favorite part of the show?

I would say my favorite has been “It’s a Fine Life,” which is a song in Act One, Scene Six. It’s just really fun, and the characters Nancy and Bet—that’s the one I play—we’re just sort of being sarcastic and goofy. We get to dance around stage, and we always improvise stuff.

Rachel Frampton

What personal experiences have helped you put yourself into your character’s shoes?

My character, she’s very headstrong. She marries another character in the show, but she doesn’t let him control her, much to his dismay. I think it’s sort of bringing the power that I feel as a woman to not let someone walk all over me, and sort of owning my truth and owning who I am.

Maylis Quesnel

What did you like and dislike most about your character?

I loved the innocence and happiness, but I am a little sad that Oliver doesn’t say much.

What’s something interesting about you that people might not know about?

This is actually my first time onstage with a mic, which is a little overwhelming.

How do you prepare before going onstage?

I have to play a kind of mean character, so it’s so different from who I am as a person. I have to sort of think about mean things a little bit so that I can go on stage and give a good performance.

What has been your experience with drama club?

It’s the most amount of fun I’ve ever had, and everyone in this club is really loving and welcoming, like no other group of people in this school.

Jack Orcev

What part of the show did you most look forward to?

I looked forward to seeing how the kids would do. This year, some elementary and middle school kids are performing in the show as orphans, and I’ve never seen a high school show do that before.

Describe the show in one word.

Intense. I would say it’s intense because it has a lot of serious themes, whether it’s the orphans or the dangerous aspect of the characters.

INTERVIEWS BY JULIE YEO, SYDNEY WEISS, NICOLE YANAKIEV, ERIN MULLENS, C. LAI, NATALIE WEGER, LULU AUGUST, EILEEN ZHANG, NIKKI SHAH, AND ANGELA MU PHOTOS BY EMILY PAN AND ALISA LEUNG “OLIVER!” GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL GRAPHICS BY VALERIE WANG AND KISHA YAN

Samantha Vidas

11/9, 11/17

What do you like and dislike most about your character?

He’s really fun to play. He’s kind of a rakish, fun troublemaker sort of guy. One thing I don’t like about his character is that he completely deserts Oliver at the end of the first act. I’m mad at him for being a coward, but we forgive him. He’s a kid.

So you’re a control freak?

I am a control freak, all the way, and it really shows during rehearsal when people aren’t taking it seriously. I’m probably pretty annoying about it, but I just like that opportunity.

November 2018

Becca Howlett

11/11, 11/16

Tell us about your role in Oliver.

Artful Dodger is one of the kid leaders in Fagin’s gang, so he’s a pickpocket. He’s really fun and energetic, and he sort of teaches Oliver the ropes of being a street thief.

What would you say to those who came to see the show?

We [had] like a twelfth of the school working on this production, so it’s just really nice to just see the fruit of everybody’s labors... For cast and pit, we’ve dedicated like two months to the show, and for crews they’ve dedicated even longer, so I just think that [attending is] a really, really nice way to come out and support the RM community.

Chris Deriquito

Funniest moment from rehearsal?

Rachel [Frampton] and I were working on one of the songs, and she sits on my knee and breaks my clout goggles.

How do you feel about your character?

Bumble is a very bombastic role to play, so I’m not really used to hamming things up, but when I get into it, it’s super fun!

Who has the best costume?

Reggie [Shardow] looks like a member of My Chemical Romance, and I’m pretty sure Nick [Leiva] is wearing chaps, and I approve of both.

11

12

The Tide

November 2018

FEATURES PEN PALS, cont. from page 1

As a key student leader in Pathways’ 2018 TOK conference, she has been immersed in planning an unforgettable three days of thought-provoking discussions, vigorous investigations into the concept of culture, and various performances to engage the huge assembly of conference participants from schools all over India and abroad.

“The concept of taking an academic aspect and turning it into a conference and give a forum to students to develop their perspectives is unheard of,” she explained.

“It is highly probable that we could have just been asked to make the presentation and write the essay, and we would have done so, but

formulating opinions and having open-floor discussions is something I have really looked forward to.”

This year, Pathways students were tasked with questioning where the whole of humanity is heading as well as delving into fundamental questions of what is considered right and wrong—and who decides them. Colorful student poster boards also hit upon the nature of reality, with titles such as “Nothing is Certain but Doubt” and “Are We Living in a Simulation?”

This ambitious endeavor to answer questions concerning the fundamental truths of human existence opened on the evening of October 12.

Student delegates from 16 schools around Asia

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATHWAYS ARAVALI WORLD SCHOOL

The Pathways Aravali IB World School’s main campus circles around a large, colorful amphitheater.

and beyond filtered into Pathways Aravali’s woodland campus, buzzing with excitement as Bali and co-host Rishit Jain took to a warmly lit stage enclosed by a semi-circle of forestry freckled with academic buildings on one side and a sea of eager faces on the other.

Musical performances set a cheery tone for the night as student leaders broke off with their groups to present their interpretations on the definition of culture.

The next several days were a flurry of unadulterated zeal for joint discourse and academic contemplation. Bali headed a workshop on the concept of sense perception (e.g. sight, touch, smell). Wittily titled, “I See, You See, We All See...But Do We?”, it discussed whether or not absolute truth can be derived from sensory information.

“The TOK conference was extraordinary; we explored several new things this year,” she said.

“Being a part of the core team, I experienced new levels of leadership and management. I had so much fun interacting with IB students from all over the world. I feel extremely privileged to have been a part of this.”

Getting to know Parinita Bali and learning about her school was an incredibly eye-opening experience. She is bold, persistent, endlessly capable and emphatically articulate.

Furthermore, even with the oceans separating us, we are united in our shared experiences as students in an IB World School. Likewise, while the culture there may be foreign, at the same time, the intricacies of day-to-day life are achingly familiar and parallel to our own.

Kiera Butler to fill Monteleone’s shoes

by Michelle Ma When Mr. Monteleone leaves this January to temporarily assist at Tilden Middle School, principal intern Kiera Butler will temporarily take over his position.

Mrs. Butler’s plan had always been to enter into the field of education. She has taken on a variety of roles, first majoring in psychology with the intent of becoming a school counselor, and then teaching at a special needs school in D.C. while finishing her masters in counseling.

“My passion was always education, and I always enjoyed working with students,” she explained.

Much of her passion comes from her own personal experiences when she was younger. Mrs. Butler has always acted as a de facto counselor for kids, be it giving them emotional support when they most needed it, or making sure they were fully prepared for life after high school.

“As I constantly was living the work as a counselor, I started to explore what other ways I could support a school community,” she said. “That’s what made me want to go into administration.”

When she came to Montgomery County, she became a peer educator for a few years and then went on to become a resource counselor. From there, she became an assistant principal, and finally the first principal intern at RM. There are many things Mrs. Butler loves about the school. “Diversity is awesome, yes,” she said, “but what I love about RM, being here so far, is that everybody has been so welcoming. Like, not just the staff, but students as well.”

To her, everything about the community in general—meeting the parents, going to activities over the summer, being out in the neighborhood and even just roaming the

hallways and the classrooms—makes her feel accepted and included.

Here at RM, Mrs. Butler hopes to help students develop a wider perspective and empathize with others. “I think sometimes we get caught up in living in our own bubbles, and we have our own lanes that we’re trying to stay in,” she explained.

“Taking that time out to just see the other person’s lens or lane, to kind of understand their journey, will make us stronger or better people.”

Perseverance is another trait that Mrs. Butler believes that students should have.

Having studied and worked in education for so long, she understands that students will encounter tough times. To her, the important thing is that students continue to work hard to overcome those roadblocks, just as they would in other aspects of life.

“It’s not so much where you start, but it’s where you finish,” she said. “Nobody plays a video game and after they beat level one, they say, ‘Yes! I’m going to hit reset and

play level one again!’ No! Go to level two.

It gets hard, but you keep trying to beat the game.”

While students are typically the ones who come to school to learn, Mrs. Butler is genuinely excited about learning as well.

She believes that the students, the staff, and the community in general can teach her many things. “I think their experiences always help put into perspective what my work is supposed to be,” she said.

Between all of her administrative duties and work she needs to finish, Mrs. Butler has not lost sight of why she is truly here: to help students to the best of her ability.

“I always say that without them, there would be no us,” she explained. “If there’s not students coming in this building to learn, then how am I employed?”

As Mrs. Butler continues to manage the school and learn at the same time, she is excited to grow within this community and find new ways to support students. We look forward to having her in December.

GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

- question of the month Interviews by Amna Shamim Clarissa Halpern, senior “I have strings from the friendship bracelet making club.”

Steven Chen, senior “A letter to a teacher which I told her ‘You were not the best English teacher.’”

Michael Koretsky, freshman “I have four Pokemon folders‑three Pikachu and one Squirtle.”

Keira DiGaetano, senior “I went to London before freshman year and got a teabag from a hotel, and I carried it around just in case I need tea. It’s gotten very beat up, but I’m like ‘Why not keep it until the end of senior year?’”

Elizabeth Fielding, senior “A pack of Quiddler word cards” Matthew Tong, freshman “Two Rockville Rewards cards” Ameen Elhamdani, junior “4 spoons.”

Nick Asante, sophomore “Petroleum jelly.”

PHOTO BY EMILY ZHAO

Kiera Butler only recently joined RM but is already comfortable as assistant principal.

GRAPHIC BY KAT CHEN

The Tide

FEATURES

November 2018

13

Alumnus O’Donovan trains Wizards

by Rosemary Yang and Katie Yuan

In the brightly lit training room, equipment ranging from treadmills to elaborate cable machines form orderly rows across the room.

The sunlight streaming through the skylights casts a warm glow upon the room. On one side, RM alumnus Blair O’ Donovan enthusiastically encourages an athlete, helping him eliminate any weaknesses through careful observation and a training program tailored to each athlete’s needs.

As Director of Physical Preparation for the Washington Wizards, he pushes players

“If I didn’t play sports at RM, then I would’ve never had the drive that I now even later in life” - Blair O’Donovan to achieve their full potential.

Just two decades ago though, O’Donovan stood under a completely different mascot: the RM Rockets. He played on the same turf field, ate at the same cafeteria, and experienced the same stresses we have.

O’Donovan has plenty of experience under his belt. “I was fortunate to work for two professional sports organizations early on in my career,” he said.

With roots in the sweat-soaked RM locker rooms, O’Donovan worked his way up to the Baltimore Ravens as Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach. From

there, he expanded to the world-renowned Washington Capitals as their Assistant Strength Coach and even opened his new company, Healthy Baller, in 2013. His new company, stationed in Rockville, aims to train athletes, taking extra care with injury prevention.

In 2018, he took his experience to yet another team: the Washington Wizards. His job revolves around the saying: everyone is different.

O’Donovan works closely with each individual member and carefully crafts a workout routine catering to their specific needs. This is absolutely crucial both on and off the court.

“Games are won and lost in such a small margin so every detail that goes into a workout or practice day is critical,” O’Donovan said.

While proper training is crucial, team unity is even more important. As every gear in a machine depends on another, basketball staff and members work the same way. “It’s very important that we’re on the same page,” O’Donovan said. He strives to gain trust and respect from the players—without this, it is impossible for players to function as one team.

Playing sports during O’Donovan’s four years at RM inspired him to follow his career into the sports field. Back in high school, he enjoyed playing basketball and lacrosse on the school varsity teams.

When he wasn’t studying, he was working hard to develop his athletic skills. “If I didn’t play sports at RM, then I would’ve never had the drive that I do now even later in life,” O’Donovan said.

From immersing himself in books and videos to training in the gym, he was constantly striving to better himself as an athlete. Through persistence and diligent training, he received the prestigious Rocket Award, which is given to hardworking athletes who show great improvement in all aspects.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLAIR O’DONOVAN

O’Donovan (left) rigorously trains his clients while ensuring that they maintain peak health.

His experiences at RM have stayed with conversation.”

Instead, O’Donovan uses technology him up till now. O’Donovan stated: “Sports allowed me to learn about myself as well to expand his business’ growth and as provide personal growth. You only grow networking. Technology allows him to when you are taken out of your comfort connect with prospective employees and zone.” Now, as a successful business owner build relationships.

Although his company, Healthy Baller, and trainer, O’Donovan frequently thinks is only half a decade old, it consists of more back to his years at RM. In addition to persevering through than 15 experienced trainers and provides academics, O’Donovan advises students to various services from physical therapy to create strong lasting relationships with the sport training.

O’Donovan follows the saying, “you are people around them. He believes modern technology should not hinder teenagers the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” from living life to the fullest.

O’Donovan has surrounded himself with “I see too many young kids that may be hanging ‘together’ but have meaningless hardworking and passionate people, and interactions, ” O’Donovan said. “It’s easier with them, climbed his way up the ladder. to hide behind your phone than it is to With hard work and dedication, the sky’s talk to a stranger or have a meaningful the limit.

The Force is strong with RM’s Gold Vader

by Kevin Hrozencik

by Laura Chang Have you ever woken up with a profound sense of purpose and thought to yourself, “Let’s get this bread!”? You might consider Japong Bakery, a newly-opened Asian bakery located in the Ritchie Center along the same strip as Om and 7-Eleven, which offers a variety of sweet and savory breads.

Japong’s cheesy bacon toast can easily satisfy a craving for savory carbs. The bakery takes a thick slice of bread and generously sprinkles it with cheese.

They then toast the bread so that the cheese forms a crispy shell while the inside of the slice stays soft. The spongy inside is further completed by the sprinkling of crunchy bacon bits, resulting in a deliciously unique contrast between the two textures.

There is a divot in the toast, and inside, the cheese is richer and gooier, which adds another layer to the bread’s personality.

While the cheesy bread alone is satisfying the first few bites, the bacon chunks make a surprising appearance and contribute to

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAPONG BAKERY

Japong puffs: a marriage of crunch and cream.

the culinary experience in subsequent bites.

After indulging in cheesy bacon toast, something sweet and light is fitting. The bakery strongly recommends getting a slice of their Japanese cheesecake or grabbing some hard-shell cream puffs. “[Our goal is] introducing these new flavors to the area. I don’t see the jiggly cheesecake in the area yet, and definitely not the hard-shell cream puff. We just want to introduce our culture to this area,” their secretary Kandace Siu said.

Japanese cheesecake is not what most would expect to see when they hear the word “cheesecake.” It is not nearly as dense as traditional cheesecake, so you could munch on a whole slice and still run a mile afterwards. Its texture is similar to a very fluffy, airy sponge cake. People also call it “jiggly cheesecake” since shaking it causes the cake to bounce like a piece of Jell-O. The hard-shell cream puffs at Japong are also new to Rockville. As the name implies, the puffs have a crunchy exterior, and their taste is comparable to pizzelle, an Italian waffle cookie. Once you crunch through the coating, your taste buds will be greeted by a substantial serving of cream.

The puff and cream have a subtle sweetness, and similar to the cheesy bacon toast, there is an intriguing combination of textures. “The cream puffs were nice. They had lots of cream, and the sugar level was good,” senior Susan Wen said This bakery is a great place to drop by during lunch. Right now, they offer a special lunch deal for students. For only four dollars, they will hand over two buns and a can of Coca-Cola or another soft drink. Opting for one sweet and one savory bun is essentially getting a main dish, dessert, and a drink to wash down the meal all in one!

While RM is known for its high spirit and intense fans, there is one student that stands out from the rest of the crowd, going above and beyond to show his love for RM athletics. That student is senior Jabel Sallah, also known as the Gold Vader.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JABEL SALLAH

Jabel Sallah cheers on the football team.

To those unfamiliar with Gold Vader, he could be considered one of RM’s unofficial mascots. Another member of the cheer team, Hell’s Kitchen, he aims to keep the fans on their feet and cheering their hearts out during sporting events such as football or basketball games.

“I just did this, not for attention, but to make students happy. Like, to get people excited for the games, sort of like another Richie the Rocket,” Sallah said.

Since his freshman year Sallah has gone to almost every game he could go to as Gold Vader, working as a member of Hell’s Kitchen.

Sallah had been inspired to do so from a fellow student he had seen at a pep rally his freshman year, dressed head to toe in

RM spirit apparel, with fairy wings and a crown to top it off.

“It was one of the best types of spirit I’ve ever seen,” Sallah said. After that day, Sallah went home and found one of the old Darth Vader masks he had worn for Halloween, painted it black and gold, and has been Gold Vader ever since.

Sallah fully intends for the mascot of Gold Vader to be his legacy. Despite threats and physical altercations at games, Sallah remains ever-motivated by the love of his fans to continue coming to school events as Gold Vader.

He even has his own section of fans during the basketball season, known as Vader’s Corner.“I wanted to do something as big as the cheerleaders and the poms,” Sallah said.

Now, as Sallah enters his final year at RM, he hopes to pass down the mantle of Gold Vader, so that one brave student may continue to inspire others to show their school spirit in the most creative ways possible. “He has to be spirited, he has to not care what other people think, or what they say about him, but more fun loving, and has to interact with the students and fans,” Sallah said.

However, as for the most important requirement, Sallah said, “Someone who just does it for fun.”

“I just did this, not for attention, but to make students happy.”

- Jabel Sallah If you’re interested in becoming the next Gold Vader, please email: goldvadermhs@gmail.com

14

The Tide

FEATURES

November 2018

iGEM: a scientific competition like no other

by Angela Sun

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA LYONS

AP Human Geography students interact with Japanese students using FlipGrid.

AP Human Geography and Japan collaborate

by Carina Guo When most students think of geography, they think of topographical ridges and obscure foreign cities hidden within vast countries, all displayed on a colorful globe.

But, AP Human Geography goes beyond that. “Instead of focusing on geography or the characteristics on a map, we focus on why things are there. We do the more psychological part of geography,” senior Allison Mintz explained.

Their studies cover a wide range of topics and involve analyzing historical events from around the world.

“The last unit, we focused on migration and immigration and different routes that different groups and races took to get to America, South America, and all over,” senior Jalen Stubbs said.

The class, primarily composed of seniors, is nowadays consistently bustling with the sounds of collaboration due to a new project which was first introduced by Ms. Lyons.

“I had an idea that I wanted to have some kind of collaboration with another school around a human geography topic. I reached out to Mrs. Shay, IB coordinator, to see if she had any relationships with any other IB schools that might be willing to collaborate,” AP Human Geography

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA LYONS

Students discuss their videos with peers. teacher Andrea Lyons said.

Around that same time, a high school in Japan wanted to establish a relationship with RM and communicated with Mr. Monteleone, who connected Ms. Lyons and Mrs. Shay with teachers at Namazu East High School.

One notable difference is the school size—Namazu East is comparatively smaller than RM, which today houses over 2,000 students. “Their school only has around 800 kids,” senior Aliza Philip remarked.

As a result of Ms. Lyons’ hard work, the project is now in full-swing. Students are communicating across the globe using a video application, Flipgrid. “Our first video was about ourselves and different things

we like to do,” senior Moira Kaluzienski explained.

In addition, one of the subjects that students have discussed is their differing education systems. “We’re learning about Japan’s education. We send videos out to them about what we’re doing in our curriculum and they’re doing the same thing,” Stubbs said.

The students are separated by thousands of miles and a plethora of cultural differences, but extraordinarily, there is no awkwardness in their interactions. “It’s basically like we’re talking to friends. It’s really nice,” Mintz said.

This project creates a mutually-beneficial connection that allows both sides to educate each other while exploring new languages

“We learn about what’s going well in other countries, and how we can incorporate that here.”

- Aliza Philip and other facets of culture. “We’re helping them with their English because they listen and interpret our videos,” senior Aviva Feldman said.

The students also believe that these types of partnerships are in general beneficial to the nation as a whole.

“Having international studies would help us figure out solutions for things that are happening within our country—we learn about what’s going well in other countries, and how we can incorporate that here to make us better and more diverse,” Kaluzienski stated.

This partnership, it seems, is not only eye-opening but also may provide for these students the underlying groundwork for a fundamental broadening of their worldview.

“If you don’t get a lot of exposure until college, like when you study abroad, even if it’s a little sneak peek in how education systems in other countries work, what their views are… it’s definitely not the same but it’s important to have awareness,” Philip explained.

This project also reflects RM’s ideals as a an IB and MYP school. Forms of global communication, especially those that start from the students, are essential steps taken to improving the program’s strength internationally.

As such a diverse school, branching out through projects like this partnership with Japan is extremely important to reflect and bolster the diversity among ourselves.

The end of October spoke of wind chill, Halloween, incoming college application deadlines and, for RM’s synthetic biology club, the culmination of two years of hard work.

While others slaved away on college essays, I and the other members of our club were furiously drafting up our presentation for the 2018 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Giant Jamboree in Boston, the conclusion of a year-long synthetic biology competition.

But before I detail that experience, let us first define just what synthetic biology is. It typically involves taking an organism and adapting it for an entirely novel purpose.

As an example, you might take bacteria such as E. coli, which are primarily recognized for their ability to wreak havoc on your digestive system, and engineer them such that they instead serve as harmless production factories for the protein that gives bananas their distinctive smell.

If that fails to strike your fancy, at the jamboree, we met a team that had engineered a hard candy incorporating E. coli designed to reduce Asian glow. How’s that for innovation?

Synthetic biology is a relatively young area of science, and it is perhaps because of this that concepts such as accessibility and humanity--relatively modern values in a field like the sciences-- are an inescapable part of iGEM’s core brand.

The Parts Registry, despite its Orwelliansounding name, serves as one realization of this desire for accessibility-- a library of DNA snippets composed of genes expressing almost any enzyme you could ever want. Once you register, iGEM mails you a kit with thousands of the best parts from the registry. You could cure E. coli of its Asian glow, make it smell like a banana and then some.

Moreover, the competition itself encompasses so much more than lab work.

As part of our project, we presented at local science fairs and drew up lesson plans for elementary schoolers with the goal of spreading our love of synthetic biology to the community at large. These experiences, along with what we did in the lab, were encapsulated in our wiki page. For all this we needed a diverse population of programmers, educators and writers. iGEM calls this intersection of science and the wider world human practices, because its core purpose is to better the human existence. Of all the presentations we saw, what struck me was not the genetic parts nor mathematical equations they used but rather the symposiums, summer camps, and political lobbying iGEM teams

PHOTO BY WENDY SPARKS

RM members present at the Giant Jamboree. engaged in in an attempt to solve local problems worldwide: the grand prize this year went to a team who sought to house the prolific population of stray cats in their city. For me, human practices perfectly embodies the down-to-earth spirit of the entire competition.

With that, I invite you to join us. Come be a part of a global population of students whom, despite having spent a summer navigating the complexities of scientific engineering and modeling, never lose track of what really matters (like having the perfect punny title for your project). Come be a part of iGEM.

Students attend MCCollege Dual Enrollment

by Meghna Pandey This year, a partnership has been established between RM and Montgomery College where students have the opportunity to participate in a dual enrollment program that allows them to explore possible college courses and ensure college readiness.

There are multiple benefits for students to be part of the program, and in addition to being informational, students earn college-level experience and credit when taking the course.

“Dual enrollment allows student to seek dual credit (high school and college credit) to meet graduation credits and general studies credit requirements for college,” counseling department resource teacher and Dual Enrollment Program Advisor Antoinette Phillips said.

PHOTO BY MIRA KUX

Students attend the MC-College’s program.

Students have the choice to take advanced classes they would have otherwise been unable to. For instance, some students who could not take IB Chemistry signed up for

the chemistry class offered in Montgomery College for high school credit.

Other than instilling students with advanced academic knowledge, the program has helped students with organization and time management skills. “There is a lot of out-of-class work and professors expect you to complete assignments without reminders,” junior Lukas Domorad, who participates in the early college program at MC, said.

The dual enrollment program already offers a variety of courses like Introduction to Business, and future courses include Introduction to Marketing, World Music, International Relations, Introduction to Sociology, Media Appreciation, an innumerable others.

While the course is open to anyone who is interested, there are certain qualities in students that are preferred when taking the course. The course is not made for everyone, and it is up to the students to decide whether they have the time to cope with the courses, and if they are truly interested in the available courses.

“The students that have been successful are focused, pay attention to detail, are able to follow directions, and have a solid foundation of college readiness skills in math and English,” Mrs. Phillips said.

Overall, many students enjoy the MC program, and they are engaged with the courses of their interest.

This program is both beneficial for students, as well as the parents who can save money on courses that their children may have otherwise taken in college.

Parents and students alike have found the program catered to their interest, and as more courses are introduced, more students are likely to make the short trip from RM to the MC-College campus.

FEATURES

The Tide

To our writers, thank you for your hard work and we love you!

(Appreciate the turkey. Before it gets eaten.)

The Features Editors I am thankful for my EIC, Derek Yao. Layna Lu, senior

Elsa is the sweetest, most helpful, and best listener in the world!

She helps me when I’m upset or angry. She also bought me a cookie once, which was great too.

Amna Shamim, freshman I am thankful for all our Counseling Services Department and especially our head of Counseling, Mrs. Phillips!

Mrs. Hull

For tainted group, worm club, my family, my teachers, and for everyone else that’s made these years possible.

Reyna Choi, senior My Life: my soulmate husband, our family, freedom of speech and the right to protest, and having a home with more than enough books for this journey.

Mrs. Smith I am thankful for my parents because our longstanding spirituality and everlasting faith provides grounding and stability in times of despair.

Kyle Dalrymple, sophomore

I am thankful for Abby Adigun for always coming in with the assist and having the coolest full name ever.

Sarah Molot, sophomore Language and comedy.

Michael Thomas, junior

When I’m in need He always has a plan That’s why I’m thankful for Mr. Michael Pan Kush Savsani, junior

I’m thankful for our building services staff who work so hard every day to keep our school clean and beautiful.

Mr. Stillman Sra. Van Duzer noticed my hard work and helped me get an A in Spanish. She always takes the time out to email us and love on us.

Janna Stewartson, sophomore

15

I am thankful for everyone who supported me on my great journey to become the greatest stand up comedian alive.

Linsen Liu, sophomore I am thankful for Clare because she is the best duet partner ever. I love having bonding experiences with Clare such as freezing and practicing piano all the time.

Laura Yao, junior

Rocket Nation’s support of our players throughout the football season.

Mr. Klotz

ode to my friends: and iiiiiiiiieeeee-iiiiiiii will alwaaays love youuuuuuuuHOOOOOOOOO Alyssa Cong, junior

I’m thankful to Kush Savsani for being there for me and helping me get through all my classes these past two years. Love you Kush <3 Derek Chu, junior

I am very thankful for my best friend Nicole. I have known her for five years and she has never left my side.

Carina Guo, freshman

I am thankful for my teachers and I’m thankful to work in a my education. It is because of them profession that cares about that I am able to be educated daily uplifting our youth and is part and develop knowledge on things of a union that takes my work I couldn’t have ever imagined. seriously and fights for our rights.

Laura Mazudie, sophomore Dr. Alexander

Thankful to be back at RM and for the awesome students in class of 2020 for their thoughtfulness and kindness last year.

Mrs. MacFarlane

I’m thankful for the RM newspaper for updating me on all RM events.

Kesi Harford, senior

I am thankful for Beatriz Guevara, she is the kindest person I’ve ever met and I’m glad that I have her by my side.

Jorge Mendoza, junior

My best friend, Anagha Shastry.

Love you Anaguac, thanks for always putting up with me!

Deeksha Sesha, junior

The best colleagues and students anywhere; tv (West Wing reruns); my family :) Mr. GK

I am thankful for the whole science department for writing my college recs.

Kendall Reeves, senior

Thank you duy for dealing with my bs and cracking me up with your ugly crocs <3 <3 luv ya baby bro Jasmine Pham, junior

I am thankful for my daughter, my nieces, my career. Living each day is a gift.

Ms. Roberson

I am thankful for William Shakespeare.

Mr. Dumas

I am thankful for all the teachers and students who come to school everyday and make my learning experience more fulfilling.

Melody Chen, sophomore

Mr. Oakes because he’s a mind-reader and does things before you even ask him.

Arabella Einsmann, sophomore

I’m thankful for my girl, Emily Chen, because she always has my back :’) Shevani Tewari, junior

Dear class of 2019—thank you for a wonderful 3.5 years! On this holiday, enjoy your (2S)-2-amino-3(1H-indol-3-yl) propanoic acid aka C11H12N2O2 aka UGG, in whatever form your family and friends most enjoy. Thank you for 1.10376000 X 10^8 rad of Cs-133 of memories.

Dr. Sparks

I am thankful for Ms. Engelmann!

Thank you for believing in me and helping me grow stronger in Math.

You encouraged me to work harder not only in your class, but all my other classes as well and I will forever be grateful.

Nibras Seman, senior

I’m really thankful for swimming because it’s saved me on multiple occasions and has let me meet so many wonderful people.

Justin Roh, junior

November 2018

Ms. Kellinger, Ms. Furr, and SGA! Thank you for organizing engaging activities and events that help bring our community together.

Thank you Angela for always walking with me to the library after school. I hope you never get your driver’s license.

Kaylen Pak, junior

I am thankful for my amazing friends nibras, kendall, and zara.

They have always been there supporting and making sure I am successful in school.

Amina Musa, senior

Le département de langues et mes élèves fantastiques ;-) Prof. Falloux

I am thankful for Mrs. Vincent because she is really helpful and has helped me a lot in physics.

Grant Clifford, sophomore

I am so thankful for the RM student body who allow me to be a small part of their lives each and every day. I cannot wait to get to school each day to unravel the day’s great adventure! Hope to see you soon!!!!!

Coach Fahrner

I am SO, SO in debt to everyone who has helped me when I’m down, to those who have helped me with my homework or just smile at me in the hallways. I am thankful for my parents who are always there to support me 24/7.

Nicole Fang, freshman

I am very grateful for getting an A in English.

Alex Tong, freshman

RMBC for giving me the up to date news of the happening of this amazing school.

Arthur Palayer, sophomore

If you don’t see your thank-you note here, check thermtide.com for the rest. Some of the notes have been abridged for formatting purposes.

GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

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The Tide

November 2018

ARTS

Apaydin moves homes and hearts

by Helena Yang Be it singer, performer, or activist, junior Selin Apaydin can do it all. Wherever she goes, she can be seen making her mark in RM’s various communities through singing at the Fine Lines Coffeehouse, acting in “Oliver!”, or advocating for gun control.

In addition to her presence in these areas, her involvement in RM’s art community is notable.

As a versatile artist who often uses character art to make powerful and interesting statements, one of Apaydin’s most meaningful projects is a pop art piece on women in orientalist art that she worked on during the summer. The painting uses a comic book-esque style to depict four panels and a women posing in the center.

“Between the panels it zoomed in to shift the focus from the figure’s body to her face, which is not into it at all, and kind of uncomfortable,” Apaydin said. “I think that’s very meaningful because the views of foreign women being exotic and interesting are prevalent still.”

“The views of foreign women being exotic and interesting are prevalent still.”

- Selin Apaydin It was this very piece that sparked the attention of other artists. “RM’s art community kind of jumped on me,”

Apaydin said. After she submitted the piece, various members of the art community reached out to Apaydin with information about creative events within RM. Their overwhelming support and acceptance eventually helped her get involved in the musical and the Fine Lines Fall Coffeehouse, which she plans to participate in again in the winter.

Given the impact Apaydin has already made on the art community, it is hard to believe that this is only her first year here at RM. Prior to this August, she lived in Azerbaijan, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia, for nine years.

Apaydin draws inspiration from this background. “She’s doing a lot of imagery based around her culture and the environment,” art teacher Kelly Posey said.

One of Apaydin’s pieces features a Turkish landscape with pools of water and crevices in the mountainside.

Moving to the U.S. brought about big changes for Apaydin. “The school I went to was really, really small,” Apaydin said.

“Per grade we had around 40-50 kids max, so the entire IB junior class right now might be bigger than my high school class there.” Considering RM’s large student population, she initially felt intimidated and strange.

Another key difference between Apaydin’s old school and RM was the access to entertainment. Her old school did not have an auditorium, and she often had to go into the city to attend creative events. “I really like what’s happening here in terms of opportunities. We have an amazing theater program,” Apaydin said.

“We actually have a set, and lighting, and an auditorium.”

Despite all the differences between her new and old life, Apaydin finds herself

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Apaydin poses with two of her works, “Femme Captivante/Tutsak Kiz” and “Femme.” slowly but surely finding her place in the RM communities. “I’m not really sure I have integrated yet because it’s only been two, three months into school,” Apaydin said. Nevertheless, she is beginning to settle into the community.

For all the perks of being involved in RM’s art communities, Apaydin’s favorite aspect remains the friendly, constructive atmosphere that has helped her grow as an artist. “The most meaningful part is the support because the community is much bigger,” Apaydin said. In contrast, her previous school could not always provide this due to the relatively smaller student population.“At my old school there were maybe three kids who took art seriously,

but here there are a lot more people like that, so that’s really nice.”

Her hard work certainly does not go unnoticed. “[Apaydin] takes her process to the next level because as a conceptual element she’s always thinking about the message that she wants to come across,” Ms. Posey said.

Apaydin’s interests are not limited to just art; she is also passionate about history. “She knows a lot about it and has an intercultural perception since she’s lived in so many different places,” junior Nestor Campero said.

In the future, be on the lookout for more of Apaydin’s work as she continues to contribute to RM’s art communities.

Spice up classic recipes

by Melody Cheng

GRAPHIC BY HELEN QIAN

A Guide to D.C. Museums

by Mary Ma Going to an exotic island or abroad might sound like a great vacation, but an easier, budget-friendly and just as exciting option is just a metro ride away. During this Thanksgiving break, use this guide to visit D.C.’s best museums.

The overrated: The Natural History and Air and Space museums are probably the first museums that come to mind. Although they are must sees as well as pleasant to visit, they can be noisy and overcrowded, especially during the holiday season.

The local gems: A hidden jewel in D.C. is the Asian art museum, the Freer Sackler galleries.

The Freer galleries are organized by country, religion or general area of Asia.

Additionally, the exhibits focus on the interconnection between American and Asian art.

By contrast, the Sackler is more theme oriented. Available exhibitions include Encountering Buddha, Resound: Bells of China and Japan Modern galleries. “The Smithsonian has so much to offer. There are always new, fun and exciting exhibits to visit,” junior Annabelle Sargent said.

Another great museum to visit is the

National Museum of the American Indian.

The museum is fairly easy to navigate, as the exhibits are organized by room.

Visitors can read the informational blurbs to gain contextual information about the displayed artifacts. Simple items such as a lampshade or water bottle have incredible historical significance.

The museum’s restaurant on the lowest level offers the best food, by far, in the Smithsonian. “My favorite museum is the American Indian museum because not only do they have amazing exhibits, the food there is also really good,” sophomore Corinne Hanway said. Although it is somewhat overpriced, the food is good with selections like bison chili tacos and chicken and plantain stew.

“There are always new, fun, and exciting exhibit to visit.”

- Annabelle Sargent These are just two of many museums that are worth visiting in D.C. Consider rethinking vacation to take advantage of the tourist spots that are close to home. Instead of going to a museum for the thousandth time, stop by one of these locations.

Food is one of the most important characteristics of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Whether eating a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, or takeout from a restaurant, a good, hearty meal can bring family and friends together.

“We’re not American, but Thanksgiving feels like a universal thing to my parents,” freshman Bitanya Kebede said. In preparation of the approaching holiday, here are two traditional recipes recommended by the RM community!

GRAPHIC BY KATIE ZHANG

Mac & Cheese

Ditch the bland one-cheese casserole dish and add a new spin to this holiday favorite!

Chemistry teacher Stuart Albaugh shared his recipe, and recommends adding panko bread crumbs atop the casserole dish before baking, for a delightful contrast between cheesy, gooey macaroni and golden, crunchy bread crumbs.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 5 ½ cups of milk in saucepan. In a skillet, add 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

Add ½ cup all-purpose flour when butter bubbles. Whisk for one minute. Pour in hot milk. Whisk until mixture bubbles and turns thick.

2. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and cheeses. Set aside.

3. Cook pasta for 2-3 minutes less than

the manufacturer’s directions. Rinse and drain well.

4. Stir macaroni in cheese sauce. Pour pasta into a buttered casserole dish, sprinkle with extra cheese and add breadcrumbs.

5. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

This classic recipe is perfect for the holidays. Don’t be afraid to throw in a special ingredients, whether it be mustard powder, garlic, chili powder, or even miso paste! Add bold cheeses into the mix, such as gruyėre, brie, fontina or gouda to give the Thanksgiving table an extra kick of flavor!

Pecan Pie

This delightful crowd pleaser is an easy three step process. “All you need is 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of white corn syrup, ⅓ teaspoon of salt, ⅓ cup of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 3 whole eggs and heaping cup of shelled pecans,” sophomore Corbin Christopher said.

Christopher’s family’s Kentucky pecan pie recipe: 1. Mix syrup, salt, butter and vanilla in a bowl.

2. Add the slightly beaten eggs into the mixture.

3. Pour mixture into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell. Sprinkle pecans over the top.

Cover with foil.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the pie is not jiggly. Allow pie to cool.

Using similar ingredients, spice up the Thanksgiving table by making pecan cake, or pecan pie truffles. By adding flour, baking soda and pumpkin, you can also create a pumpkin pecan cookie pie!

Pumpkin pie and pecan pie? Yes please!

Thanksgiving is a day to enjoy great company and delicious food. Spruce up the holidays this year and try out some new recipes! Time to eat!

The Tide

ARTS

Black Friday deals

November 2018

Music: Foley is a natural

by Sabrina Mei

by Janet Choi

We are all familiar with the chaotic hustle and bustle of Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving is notorious for its long, weaving lines and packed parking lots. But how long will this yearly tradition hold up?

Discounts are certainly perks of Black Friday. Stores provide opportunities to win different rewards, a benefit typically not as accessible on other days of the year. Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works are known for their giveaways, handing bags with products to customers throughout the day.

However, online shopping is likewise capable of these alluring deals, and its popularity is only increasing with the expansion of the internet. Still, shopping in person comes with benefits.

“Black Friday shopping allows people to go to the stores physically and assess the quality of the product in person, so it’s better than online shopping,” freshman Joey Lien said.

There is a definite downfall of purchasing items, specifically clothing, online. Quality, size, and material are not guaranteed, whereas customers who shop at the physical stores are able to try on and judge products in person.

Inspiration can come from anything, whether it is from books, movies, friends, or art. For junior Corinne Foley, an aspiring professional oboe player, it came during Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s concerts. The sound of the oboe compelled Foley to play the instrument and it stuck with her, inspiring her to become the musician she is today.

Music has allowed many new opportunities for Foley. In 2014, she won placement in the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program.

“Because of [the program], I’ve been able to see all kinds of performances and play a lot of lesser-known music,” Foley said.

GRAPHIC BY HELENA YANG

Another positive factor of Black Friday shopping is simply the experience.

Many people go to the mall with friends or family and treat the day as a special gathering. There is a rush of satisfaction when snagging a particularly good deal.

GRAPHIC BY ALANA LU

This all holds true, yet there is no ignoring the convenience of shopping online. “I don’t think Black Friday shopping is as useful anymore, because online shopping is more convenient overall. People don’t want to wait five hours and wake up at 2 am to shop,” sophomore Danny Shao said.

While some may enjoy the thrill of waking up at the crack of dawn to hurry towards the mall, shopping on the internet is inarguably less work. Products can be bought with a single click—no lines, no crowds, no waiting.

This value of convenience is seen in many forms in this day and age. Services like Postmates and Uber Eats capitalize on people’s tendency to prefer direct access to their products.

As the internet grows, this type of services is bound to become increasingly prevalent. “The world is becoming very technologically driven. Amazon is a really big company right now, and it has basically everything the store has, but it’s more convenient,” junior Megan Kearns said.

Despite the clear benefits and drawbacks of both options, the question remains in the air: will Black Friday continue to be the biggest shopping day of the year? Or will its online shopping rival render this once-special day obsolete in the face of the all-powerful internet? Only time will tell.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CORINNE FOLEY

Foley poses at the Tanglewood Institute.

In 2016, Foley gained admission to the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra where she played alongside some of the best teenage classical musicians in the country. “I felt so lucky to be a part of that ensemble and proud of the hard work I had put in to get there,” Foley said.

At RM, Foley plays with the chamber and pit orchestras, playing an essential

role in multiple performances. “She’s a very, very musical student; she’s one of the most musical students I’ve taught, and it’s always cool to see at a young age,” instrumental musical director Dr. Peter Perry said. “She does an awesome job and is an equally awesome person.”

The oboe has been an outlet for Foley to express herself through music.

“I love it because of how many colors there are in orchestra, and how many things can be expressed,” Foley said.

“It’s kind of like a sports team—you’re brought together in a way that you aren’t just in everyday life with school and stuff because you’re all working together for a common cause.”

Aiming to become a professional musician is incredibly time consuming.

Nevertheless, she works towards her goals and aspirations to become the best oboist possible. She often spends lunch practicing and then practices even more after school, playing for hours at a time.

As a student in the IB Diploma Programme, balancing school and practice is a skill that Foley had to master. “With school and a few other things, it can be hard to balance my time,” Foley said. “When everything becomes too much, I know I have to cut down on things outside of music since that is my primary focus.”

While the oboe may seem like a simple instrument, it has many technicalities. “The instrument is finicky, but when I listen to good oboists, like my private teacher or other professionals, it’s beautiful. I hope I can get there,” Foley said.

Having already had countless exciting music-related experiences, Foley grows closer to her goal every practice and performance. After high school, Foley plans to major in music performance and eventually work in the industry as a professional.

Teacher Advice Column: Thanksgiving Edition compiled by Andy Zabinski With early college applications in for seniors and the Thanksgiving just around the corner, Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Gaffney, Mrs. Frye, and Mr. Mallory provide some advice on how to deal with stress and enjoy high school.

out of high school, I was prepared for obstacles. I had a part time job, over 5,000 community service hours. Also, because my high school wasn’t very diverse, I knew what I did and didn’t want in life.

Q: How did you make the most your four years in high school?

Mr. Thomas: I always enjoyed learning and academic endeavors. I also had to hold down a job in addition to that, and I worked furiously hard at both.

Mr. Mallory: I grinded really hard on homework every night, I immersed myself in a group of like-minded academic peers, and I always thought of good questions to ask teachers and built good relationships with them.

PHOTO BY BRITNEY ERICKSON

Mr. Thomas: “I always enjoyed learning and academic endeavors.”

Mrs. Frye: I was on the rowing team, and I made a lot of friends there. It was year-round, so we had trips and competitions throughout the year. I worked hard so I could go to the college I wanted and got a rowing scholarship.

Q: What advice do you have for seniors who are stressed about finishing the rest of their college applications and finally choosing a college?

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA MAZZA

Mrs. Gaffney advises college-bound students to look into more options than just big-name univerisities.

Mrs. Gaffney: I challenged myself. I took challenging courses, so when I was

Mr. Thomas: The best way to deal with that kind of stress is to prioritize the most important things on a to-do list, concentrate fully at what you’re doing in that moment and then move on to the next task when the time is right.

Mr. Mallory: With college applications, just set aside a little bit of work each weekend. Also, choose somewhere that won’t put you in a lot of debt. I’m grateful that my debt was so low, and I can focus on more important things now.

Mrs. Gaffney: College is this expensive idea; we don’t always get what we want from it. If you don’t like a school, it’s not a permanent choice. The transfer process is very real and available. Also, people get to wrapped up in the idea [of] applying to big-name schools when there are many small, private universities all over the country that are willing to give students a lot of money.

Mrs. Frye: I applied to a lot of places and visited a lot of colleges and it shows the school that you’re interested. I was between BU (Boston University) and Marist College, two schools that couldn’t be more different, but I knew that the smaller school, Marist, was the right one for me.

Q: What are some of the things that are different in high school now from when you were in high school?

Mr. Mallory: Now, there’s a lot more anxiety...and greater political forces... and that leads to uncertainty in students.

“College is this expensive idea; we don’t always get what we want from it.”

are all a huge part of high school now, and that magnifies how we portray who we are and how you view other people.

It’s not really for you, it’s for other people to see how you present yourself. I wish people would be nicer to each other and people could be who they they really are. Everyone would be happier if they weren’t worried about being judged.

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Mrs. Frye attended Marist College on a rowing scholarship.

Q: What is your favorite thing about November?

Mrs. Frye: I like how the weather isn’t too hot, I like 60-70 degree weather and being able to wear long sleeve shirts or a light sweater, nothing more.

Mrs. Gaffney: Football.

- Mrs. Gaffney

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a teacher?

Mrs. Gaffney: First of all, if you were absent 5 times in a semester, you repeated the class. There was responsibility put on students, but now it’s placed on the teacher. Also, the level of Internet we have now is a huge part of your lives. Without that, if you wanted to do research for a paper, a book about it had to be at the library.

Mrs. Frye: Social media and cell phones

Mrs. Frye: I do this because I like when I’m able to make someone who says they hate history say, “It’s not that bad.”

Mrs. Gaffney: My coworkers, I love the people that I work with.

Mr. Mallory: I like the perspective of seeing students grow over time and seeing freshmen grow into seniors.

Mr. Thomas: I would say working with students and reading.

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ARTS

The Tide

November 2018

Thanksgiving Bucket List Grinch can’t remake magic

by Upaasna Yadav

by Shane Querubin For those without plans or those looking to make some more, here are our top seven activities to do over the Thanksgiving break.

1. Visit the ZooLights event at the

Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. It opens on Nov. 23 and lasts until Jan. 1 of the new year. Open from 5 to 9 pm, the free event features live music, winter treats and 500,000 environmentally friendly LED lights to transform the capital’s zoo. This event is especially enjoyable for families with young children.

2. Watch a live show or concert.

Quite a few productions will be ongoing during Thanksgiving break. A few examples are “Anastasia” and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “A Decade in Concert,” both at the Kennedy Center, “Anything Goes” at the Arena Stage, “As You Like It” at the Keegan Theatre, “Cinderella” at Imagination Stage in Bethesda and “Billy Elliot” at Signature Theatre in Arlington.

3. Visit Lightfest Up in Ashburn, Va. Showing until the new

year, Lightfest Up includes 70 different lighting exhibits featuring Chinese lanterns, acrobats, dancers and musicians.

Each Tuesday, admissions are free for all first responders and those actively involved in military duty. For everyone else, tickets are $29.99 for attendees over 13 and $24 for those under 12 years old.

4. Start preparing for the holiday season by shopping with Black Friday deals. Take part in the

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Zoolights on display at the national zoo.

American tradition by hitting the stores on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Additionally, Cyber Monday follows Black Friday for even more discounts.

5.Visit the National Harbor and Gaylord National Resort.

Throughout the break, weekend events such as holiday markets, performances, and movie screenings will be showing at National Harbor. ICE! at the Gaylord National Resort will feature a winter wonderland for tickets at $44 for adults and $38 for kids from Nov. 16 to Jan. 1.

6. Lace up your running shoes and participate in Turkey Trots across Maryland. Say goodbye to

post-Thanksgiving guilt by burning those calories ahead of time. On Nov. 22 at 7 AM, Project Echo is holding a 5K to fund their projects for the homeless.

Registration is only $25-30 and other local trots can be found online.

7. Last but not least, give back to the community by volunteering or donating. Donate gift cards or money to the Rockville Holiday Drive at Rockville City Hall or the Stepping Stones Shelter.

The Carolina is also looking for volunteers to make Thanksgiving dinner from 9 am to 4 pm at their location on Rhode Island Row, Washington, DC. Their Google form can be found online.

The much-awaited latest adaptation of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is finally out in theatres. This remake of the classic Dr. Seuss story left viewers skeptical after the trailer release; many fans of the original movie thought that the new adaptation would fail to replicate the magic of the classic Christmas entertainer.

However, while the film is yet another repetitive remake, there were many positives in the film that created an enjoyable entertainment experience.

One undeniably excellent aspect of the animated film is the outstanding visuals.

The animation was exceptionally detailed a n d vivid. While this extraordinary quality was expected, the elaborate designs were still very impressive.

In addition, the film had a stand-out cast of already well-known stars. Benedict Cumberbatch proved his versatility as an actor by voicing a character who is very different compared his previous roles.

While Cumberbatch has proven his serious acting chops in roles such as Alan Turing in “The Imitation Game,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, he managed to infuse some levity into the notoriously sour character. He nailed an American accent,. which many fans were looking forward to. The movie GRAPHIC BY also provided ANGELA GUHL a backstory that

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

Benedict Cumberbatch voices the title character in Illumination Entertainment’s 2018 version of “The Grinch.” explained the reasons why the Grinch became the way he is. While serious fans may take issue with this expansion upon Dr. Seuss’ beloved original, it was a sincere addition to the film.

Unfortunately, the movie has its drawbacks. For one, the story seemed to be almost identical to those of the previous adaptations. The film’s plot was largely predictable and thus not exceptionally exciting.

Even though the plot of all four of the adaptations were similar, this adaptation’s portrayal of the main character was different. In the earlier films, the Grinch was shown to be more grumpy, while in this one, the Grinch was portrayed to be more agreeable. This was a slight drawback, because it was the Grinch’s grumpy side that made him a unique and classic character.

“The Grinch” proves to be a fun one-time entertainer, but it lacks the magic of a true Christmas classic. “The Polar Express,” “Elf,” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” are much more deserving to be family Christmas traditions.

THE TIDE CROSSWORD: Thanksgiving special Across 1. ___ Thai; restaurant in Rockville 5. Thelma in “Thelma & Louise” 10. One of 22-Down, basically 14. Country with a unique first letter 15. Bon Jovi’s “___ on a Prayer” 16. Something that’s not occidental 17. “Thanks ___” 19. Show based off of “La bohème” 20. Maui music-maker 21. Trait that Homer applied to Odysseus 22. Ingredients of vellum 23. Spa, swimming pool, hair dryer, etc 25. Dish wrapped in nori 28. ___ Falls, site of the first women’s rights convention 29. ___-de-sac 32. Sect in Lancaster County 34. Protective covering for a bike chain 36. “Thanks a ___” 39. “Thanks for ___” 40. Structures that BASE jumpers leap off of 42. Traditional Indian garment 43. Signal originating from Morse code 44. Loose garb in ancient Rome 47. Threatening sound from a lion 48. Laid waste 50. Filled with ennui 53. Early album of Method Man 54. Former Portuguese colony 57. An integral can be thought of as finding this 58. “Thank my ___!”

60. Color close to cyan 61. Disease named after an African river 62. How one feels when one is 50-Across 63. Bubble is a slow one 64. Citizen ___ Affair 65. Shopper’s motivation

Down 1. Chipotle sofritas protein 2. Out of control 3. Like a steak that’s still mooing 4. Part of Q&A 5. Scowls 6. Greek goddess of peace 7. Asking to a party, in the digital era 8. Score-less?

9. “Life of Pi” director Lee 10. City with only one stop sign 11. Broken in, say 12. Floating explosive 13. Units of butter 18. Son of Noah 22. Anatomical versions of a 10-Across 23. Bridal passageway 24. Org. that creates airport codes 25. Half the “California Dreamin’” singing group 26. ___ acid (biological building block) 27. Highlanders’ garments 29. Largest city in Middle East 30. Lichen called “old man’s beard” 31. Fernand ___; French painter known for “Tubism” 33. Implied 35.Vegetable with rainbow

variety 37. Burden or duty 38. See 41-Across 41. With 38-Across, molecular material used in electronics 45. Manic laugh 46. Patronize, as a hotel 48. Passed out, at a table 49. Golfer known as “The Big Easy” 50. Carriers of 61-Across 51. Treat embossed with its name 52. Care for, as children 54. Lavish jamboree 55. Foreign language exam 56. Big Apple stadium namesake 58. It’s broken for luck 59. Conan’s channel

Note from the Editor: Happy Thanksgiving! Congratulations to Mr. Koenig for solving last issue’s crossword contest. Spoiler alert: the theme answer was IB LEARNER, which hinted at the IB Learner Profile traits. Hidden in 10 different clues were these traits, whose answers were symmetrically placed around the grid. The first letters of the answers spelled out GLOBAL MIND, which was the answer to the contest. This issue, there isn’t a crossword contest, but you can still share your crossword solving stories and solutions by emailing tidecrossword@gmail.com for a chance for a shoutout next issue. Also, email if you want to be a test solver for future crosswords, or submit your own puzzles (not necessarily crosswords) that could be featured on The Tide online. Happy solving! ~ Grant Yang

The Tide

SPORTS

November 2018

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New turf causes burning controversy “I prefer this turf field over the last mainly due to the fact that the old turf field

by Katie Spencer and Giulia Testa had an abundance of pellets that this one doesn’t have,” junior soccer player Kyra Football, field hockey and soccer Wisneski explained. players alike watched on in the August RM athletes may remember how the heat as their beloved turf of ten years was previous turf was very hot during the ripped up and whisked away by workers beginning of the fall sports season because of the Sprinturf LLC company. the black pellets absorbed the heat. Some The $560,000-replacement-operation athletes even reported that after a while the was approved by the MCPS Board of rubber bottoms of their shoes would melt Education after the old turf showed signs and deform. of deterioration.

The new turf has promised more According to Bethesda Magazine, the bearable temperatures. With the new sand old turf featured grass fibers made of a material instead of black pellets, the turf is plastic called Duraspine, which is known able to stay cooler in the warmer months, to degenerate after long-term exposure to and is better for rainy weather conditions, ultraviolet light. so teams can play on it in rain or shine.

As the plastic fibers began to wither “The fibers are put down, and on top of away, the turf lost its ability to contain them is a sand base,” RM’s athletic director the rubber infill, which is essential to the Chamy Wijeratne said.“The purpose of it is cushioning of the field. As a result, it failed to keep the temperatures down.” a firmness test known as the GMAX test, However, the coarse Zeolite infill poses which measures the shock-absorption a threat to players’ safety. When capabilities of the field. athletes take a tumble on the turf, According to a Forbes article, the they are left with scrapes and threshold for a safe turf lies below a burns from the impact. “I have GMAX rating of 200. Some areas on gotten plenty of turf burns from RM’s turf registered well above this falling or sliding,” Wisneski margin, with one area said. topping in just over While turf burns are 250. relatively uncommon The call for a amongst football replacement turf players, who came as a relief practice and play to coaches and in clothing and players. As fall padding that athletes took the covers their knees field for the first and elbows--the time, they rejoiced most common area over the lavish bright lines and for turf burns--it smooth, flat feel. All was well — GRAPHIC BY LANCHI NGUYEN is a different story until someone took the first fall. for field hockey players and soccer As it turns out, the composition of the players. new turf is quite different from that of the Freshman soccer goalie Molly old. The rubber black pellets have been Winchenbach’s position requires repetitive swapped for a porous, volcanic mineral diving and sliding onto the rough surface. known as Zeolite. This infill is granulated “I have probably gotten over 25 turf burns to the extent that it resembles sand. that broke the skin, and another 10 that

Senior athletes reflect on their high school careers and boys varsity soccer captain, said, of his impending graduation: “I’ll lose a part

by Megan Harrington of that close connection with the guys at school.” Without the daily practices that As the 2018 fall sports season draws to come with being part of a team, athletes a close, senior athletes are getting ready may lose that sense of camaraderie they to say farewell to their teammates and gained from playing a team sport.

However, not all seniors will be leaving coaches. In the midst of goodbyes, athletes look back on their athletic career and reflect their sports for good. Senior varsity football captain Simon Abedi-Mungu will on their time as a high school athlete. be playing football for Temple University A huge part of playing a sport is starting the fall of 2019. Abedi-Mungu interacting with people on the team. said, of his time playing Athletics allow at RM: “It has helped me students to become build relationships with more social so many people and and to develop given me brothers I can relationships with count on to always have people they never my back,” he said. “I’ll would have met miss the coaches, going outside of the to Shepherd and all the athletic community. fundraisers we had, like For senior field the mulch sale and rocket hockey captain Lily card blitz.”

Merritt, being part of High school athletics a team allowed her to give students the chance easily transition from to represent their school middle to high school.

GRAPHIC BY WENYU CHEN for athletic events. Being “Entering high school part of a closely knit team also brings is always a scary thing to think about, but athletes closer to both the school and the field hockey gave me the chance to meet student community. While senior athletes’ upperclassmen and other players my high school careers are coming to an end, age,” Merritt said.

Because athletes develop close they will never forget the crucial skills and relationships with their teammates, saying everlasting friendships gained from being goodbye is difficult. Alex Coster, a senior part of a team.

didn’t end up bleeding but were just as painful,” she said.

Senior soccer goalie David Molot sports even more impressive numbers. “I get about two turf burns a day, so overall I’ve

They are monitoring the feedback from players and visiting teams.

Wijeratne is confident that the situation will improve. “When you first put the sand in, it’s kind of rough. The sand will start

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRITNEY ERICKSON

The newly laid turf is made up of Zeolite rather than the rubber pellets on the previous field.

had around one hundred turf injuries by the end of the season,” he said.

Winchenbach testified before the Board of Education hearing on the night of Nov. 8, armed with photographic proof of the scrapes and cuts that she and her teammates have accumulated over the course of the season. “I’m talking about gashes so deep, they remain open wounds for months,” she said in her testimony.

With all of the complaint, it is easy to point fingers at the RM Athletic Department, but the decision was completely out of their hands.

“Richard Montgomery really has no say,” said Wijeratne, “It’s really more of the higher-ups of [Montgomery County] that have a say in when it gets replaced and what it gets replaced with.”

The Athletic Department is working to ensure the safety of its student athletes.

smoothing out in time,” he explained.

Nevertheless, many athletes are understandably uncertain over the future of turf.

Despite assertions that the turf will improve over time, some athletes believe this change will not happen fast enough.

“The field is more even now, but still pretty similar to the beginning of the season,” Molot said.

Others point to examples elsewhere in the county: “I don’t know if I could say I’m completely satisfied with the turf as I know of other turf fields with better conditions, like, for instance, Blair High School.”

Wisnecki said.

With these differing opinions, it is difficult to predict the future of the new turf, but in the end, both the administration and the athletes agree that safety is the top priority.

Poms shines on sidelines

games during the fall and at basketball games during the winter. “My favorite

by Cory Bucy part about poms is that it’s about spirit and being an active part of the school,” The Poms squad is a sports team Losada said.

However, their work is not done when unlike any other at RM. From their unique the football and basketball seasons end. schedule to one-of-a-kind traditions, They also participate in their own they have always set themselves apart competitions during the months of from the crowd.

January and February.

One aspect of Poms that Starting in the fall, the team differentiates them from other sports at prepares by learning new RM is the length of their season. Their choreography and perfects their season is one of the longest at RM, existing technique and skills. lasting from August to February.

“We are entering competition Tryouts start during the previous season right now so we are school year while most other fall doing more technique and sports have them in August, right intense exercises to get ready for before the new school year begins. long competition dances,” Cole The sporadic seven month said. schedule sometimes leaves Poms with The team’s unique bonding periods of downtime. The team uses exercises also help bring the girls these periods to continue improving together. This year, the team their craft. Freshman Kathleen Cole decided to bring in Petunia the said, “We learn little routines here Pom, a build-a-bear workshop and there just for us to find more bear, to serve as their motion in our dancing.”

GRAPHIC BY ANGELINA GUHL mascot and motivation.

Due to the long period of time that this group of girls spends together, “Every week a new person gets Petunia they form close bonds. “My favorite part and I think it is just good because it allows about Poms is all of the new friendships I us to recognize someone who’s been got to make and the relationships I have working really hard and puts a lot of effort into practices and our dances,” secondmade as well,” Cole said.

Another somewhat unusual aspect of year Pom, junior Avery Jones explained.

While the Poms team differs from the team lies in their purpose. “Poms is different because we support other sports a typical sports team, their dedication as well as events held by the school,” senior and team spirit rivals that of any other sport. They are some of the most ardent captain Cammy Losada said.

The Poms can be found performing at supporters of the RM community and can halftime during Friday night home football always be found cheering on the Rockets.

20 The Tide

SPORTS

November 2018

Athlete of the Issue Penuela-Wermers vaults into gymnastics success

by Selma Hamza and Kevin Zhang

Going to an Ivy League college for a sport that you love may seem to be only a dream, but senior Sarah Penuela-Wermers has made this childhood dream into a reality.

Penuela-Wermers discovered her love of gymnastics at a young age while experimenting with many different sports.

“When I was really little, I did a couple of sports, mostly dance and gymnastics.

Eventually I had to make a choice around like fourth or fifth grade: either do one or the other because both were very timeconsuming. So I ended up choosing gymnastics,” Penuela-Wermers said. “I just kind of had a lot of fun flipping around and playing around with the equipment”.

Ever since then, gymnastics has become a part of who she is, and she has no regrets. “Gymnastics has shaped me as a person and will most definitely always be a part of me,” she said.

However, her gymnastics journey has not been easy. The training schedule for gymnastics is a grueling one, filled with hours of training and hard work. “We train year-round, 22 hours a week, five days a week, for four and a half hours on the four other days, and four hours on Saturdays.”

This dedication has led PenuelaWermers to great success. In her freshman year, she was the Region 7 Champion on the balance beam and qualified for the Junior Olympic National Championships.

Last year, she finished first on the balance beam at the Maryland Classic Event finals and was the state champion in bars and and balance beam.

In order to balance her busy schedule, however, Penuela-Wermers has had to prioritize. “I really cannot miss practice to do homework, really ever, so I have to constantly make decisions about what I need to do when,” she said.

between team and individual aspects of the experience. Although gymnastics is fundamentally an individual sport, there is still a strong sense of camaraderie in the gym. “Your teammates are always there supporting you through practices,

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH PENUELA-WERMERS

Sarah Penuela-Wermers poses triumphantly after completing her uneven bars routine.

Perhaps the most important lesson she has learned is to know her own limits. “I know I cannot do homework straight after gym, because I need to give my mind a rest,” she said. “It’s all about listening to your body and knowing what you can and cannot handle at any point in time.”

What Penuela-Wermers most enjoys about gymnastics is the balance

hardships, and competitions. Being a gymnast immediately makes you part of a close-knit community,” PenuelaWermers said. “We just kind of form really unbreakable bonds, and it’s like a sisterhood, rather than just friends.”

This has also allowed her to interact with new people. “I’m really, really close to people that I wouldn’t normally find

will never lose its core values of fun and togetherness.

Senior Addie Carr, who has played all four years of high school, said, “I love the idea of [Powderpuff] because every girl that gets to play seems to be from a different group in the school. No matter if they’re in IB, AP, honors, or on level, we all get to come together just to play football.”

sport they wouldn’t usually play. Maggio stated, “I’ve always been involved in sports and saw it as a great way to get involved with the school. It’s a lot of fun to play a sport that girls don’t typically play.”

Others see Powderpuff as an opportunity to bond with classmates they do not usually get a chance to see during school. Freshmen Cori Freundlich commented, “I joined mainly to meet new people in my grade and get a chance to work with them.”

Sophomore coach Kieran Chai-Onn added, “It’s a fun way for people within each grade to get to know each other better, whilst working together to compete against other grade levels through football.” Such events help students to create a truly unforgettable high school experience.

Additionally, Powderpuff as a school event is about more than just the games: it also raises funds and brings awareness to various other important issues.

“Powderpuff doesn’t take that long, it’s a bunch of fun, it’s feminist, and it raises money for breast cancer,” sophomore player Sarah Molot said.

Freundlich also believes Powderpuff is chance to put the right foot forward on gender equality. She said, “I think it is highlighting gender roles, but I also know that they are beginning to open spots for girls on football which is good.”

Meanwhile, some students see Powderpuff as simply a way to have fun with classmates, and prefer not to stress any of its connotations with political or social change. Carr said, “I feel like it doesn’t really have anything to do with gender, just a grade that is getting together and playing football.”

Senior Austin Cheung, who has been

myself being friends with,” she said, “but we’re kind of forced to be with each other so much that we just form really unbreakable bonds.”

Though many gymnasts wish to reach the Olympics and become worldrenowned, Penuela-Wermers’s major goal has always been to compete at the Division One collegiate level, which she will get the chance to do next year at the University of Pennsylvania. “College gymnastics for me is so much more fun and it has an energy about it that’s different than club. It’s a lot more energized, a lot more fun, and has a really happy atmosphere,” she said.

After her college career however, Penuela-Wermers already has plans in mind after gymnastics. “Right now, I’m really interested in getting into public health, partly because of my experiences as a gymnast.” She also mentions how she wants to make up for lost time. “I haven’t had a real summer or time ‘off,’ so I definitely want to travel a bit either in or after college,” she said.

Her main tips for success are simple: “Don’t compare yourself to other people.

Look inwards and see how you can improve. Focus on you, not them. It can be toxic to rank yourself based on who you beat, or who you’re better than.”

Her immense dedication to the sport and the fact that she is able to carry over these lessons from the sport and apply it to her everyday life serves as a model for athletes everywhere. She is proof that hard work and focus can lead to amazing results.

Even though Penuela-Wermers does not plan to be too involved in gymnastics after college, gymnastics will always be a part of who she is. “Honestly, it’s just so fun to flip and tumble and swing,” she said.

RM girls come together in annual Powderpuff game POWDERPUFF, cont. from page 1 This has bolstered the legitimacy of the event, and as a result there has been a rally of support for the entry of talented female athletes into the traditionally maledominated sport of football.

“Now you see girls out there. I mean, Julia Blitz was kicking the ball 40 yards in

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARISSA HALPERN

Senior Clarissa Halpern runs past the sophomore opposition for another touchdown. the air, which is the same as our kicker on The motivations that draw different the football team,” Coach Rogers said. coaches and players to participate in Although this does perhaps raise the Powderpuff do, however, reflect the stakes for those participating, in the eyes of diversity of the community. current players and coaches, Powderpuff For some, it is an opportunity to play a

coaching and playing football at RM for several years, believes it is a mixture of both. “Football is generally a sport played by boys, and Powderpuff is kind of like a tradition which reinforces the idea of that, since there’s this whole separate event for girls,” Cheung remarked. “But I do feel like Powderpuff is very lighthearted and meant to be fun, and it’s for a good cause.”

PHOTO BY JAYJAY WA

The senior team huddles together with coaches before their Powderpuff game.

This lightheartedness and good cheer is evident in the excitement felt by players and coaches. For many underclassmen, the highlight of their Powderpuff career is winning against the upperclassmen.

Chai-Onn described his favorite part of the Powderpuff season: “As freshmen last year, we were able to knock off the juniors. As a team, we are really looking forward to the rematch this year.”

For over 50 years, Powderpuff has been a great event showcasing both the growing athleticism of female athletes and the power of RM spirit.

Powderpuff will undoubtedly continue its legacy of highlighting important gender and health issues and inspiring fun within the RM community for generations of student athletes to come.