The Tide - May 2013

News 2-4

Opinions 5-7

International 8-9

Center Spread 10-11

La Marea 12-13

Arts 14-15

Features 16-17

Sports 18-20

Robbie and Deborah announced as Prom King, Queen

by Camden Ostrander

PHOTO BY DAVID CHEN

This year’s prom sent the seniors off in spectacular fashion. As students came to the dance, numerous Richard Montgomery administrators and personnel were there to guide them to the dance. With the theme of “A Night in Paris,” decorations were set to make the Hilton Rockville Hotel seem like a beautiful Parisian night. The atmosphere was energetic as students streamed in through the large Arc de Triomphe at the entrance, and the energy rose as the night went on.

There was fierce competition among the Prom Court, but in the end, there could only be one Prom King and Queen. Robert André Barletta was crowned Prom King, and Deborah Gross was crowned Prom Queen. The winners were both excited about the honor, and there was a lot of applause for the two of them.

After the negative reaction to the music at homecoming, many students were pensive about the music that would be played at prom, however the music this time was received much better. Minor technical difficulties reduced the volume for only a few minutes, but other than that, the DJ did a great job of keeping the crowd going.

In the midst of applause, senior Robert André Barletta kneels as junior Stephanie Moore places the Prom King crown on his head.

PROM, contd. on page 3

Boys volleyball stopped just short of county championship

PHOTO BY RACHIT AGARWAL

Senior Brian Huang, opposite hitter, serves the ball during the a playoff game against Sherwood. Rockets won after five sets, moving on to play for the county championship against Wotton.

by Leilani Stacy After an undefeated season, the boys varsity volleyball team set themselves up with a spot in the county finals. On May 14, the Rockets took on and lost to the Wootton Patriots.

They missed a chance for the county title, and thus a symbolic state title. Maryland does not

Opinions, 5

A final good-bye

hold a state-wide championship, as Montgomery County is the only county that includes volleyball as a high school sport.

However, simply getting to the finals, junior Calvin Chao explained, “was amazing. There’s no greater accomplishment than being able to play in the championships besides winning it.”

Despite the tough loss to VOLLEYBALL, cont. page 18

PHOTO BY DAVID CHEN

Seniors Katie Zimmerman, Andrew Lai, Jennifer Cao, and Fiona Lam donned their college tee-shirts on May 1, College Decision Day.

International, 9

La Marea, 12

Arts, 14

Features, 16

Sports, 19

Model UN goes to Naimun

Popular tourist spots

Enviro art projects

Butterfly garden springs up

Marilyn flies high

2

NEWS

The Tide

SMOB and SGA elections results me. I also made stickers for my election helpers. In addition to

by Emily Zhang these ‘wearable’ items, I hung up numerous flyers on teacher’s April brought about doors and inside their classrooms elections for both the countywith their permissions,” said wide Student Member of the freshman Rachit Agarwal, who Board of Education (SMOB) and won the position of school-wide Richard Montgomery’s Student treasurer.

Government Association (SGA).

Sophomore Nathan Poland For both the candidates and said that the best part about students, the weeks prior to running was “shaking hands and election day consisted of many talking to the student body.” speeches and wide-spread Speeches were then filmed campaigning. Election day for and viewed by each class in an both SMOB and SGA took place assembly-like manner, with on April 24. students voting for school officers and the SMOB electronically.

SMOB “Using the computers for The final candidates for class elections made the process SMOB were narrowed down to so much easier,” said Kellinger.

Justin Kim, a junior at The elected schoolPoolesville, and Andrew wide officers for next Zhang, a junior at RM. year are freshman Rachit Of the eligible students, Agarwal as treasurer, 85.83% voted, and Justin junior Matthew Daniels Kim ended up winning as secretary, sophomore the election with a little Nathan Poland as Vice less than two-thirds of President, and junior Yethe vote, according to the Ji Lee as President.

MCPS website.

Like the SMOB, Campaigning the SGA is a way for included utilizing social students to participate media websites like and give opinions in Twitter and Facebook, school functions. visiting and speaking “SGA positions are at schools, and creating important for organizing websites. A “Meet the school events and Candidates” video was being the student voice filmed, featuring the two when meeting with the candidates answering said GRAPHIC BY SOFIA HU administration,” questions submitted by The voting process was entirely electronic this year. Kellinger.

MCPS students. The “In addition to purpose of classes, and increase video, about half an hour organizing events like in length, was shown in students’ freedom of learning in classes,” homecoming and Mr. RM, the said Li. social studies classes.

SGA runs charity drives, spirit Li also highlighted the weeks, and pep rallies. We are While there were only two candidates to vote for in the SMOB importance of communication. also present at football games as elections, some students found “I think the SMOB should we provide spirit gear for certain it difficult to make a decision. somehow be able to survey MCPS games,” added Agarwal.

“It seemed like the candidates students…they have to know The SGA, for example, had didn’t speak much on individual what the students want.” scheduled a Frisbee Tournament issues. They kept making broad on May 16 to benefit Nothing RM SGA statements,” freshman Eric Li but Net, a global campaign to The SGA elections featured fight malaria, and has already said.

Freshman Lipi Agrawal students from all grade levels started planning for next year’s agreed, adding that “there was except seniors running for class homecoming. school-wide positions. a lot of competition this time and Nonetheless, SGA and SMOB because both candidates seemed Students who completed petition continue to play a role in student forms attended a mandatory life, and running for office can very similar.”

The SMOB serves as a channel meeting where they were given be a valuable experience for for students, by voicing their campaign rules. The period of candidates. opinions on the MCPS Board of time that ensued included wide“I think I came out a better campaigning among person as a result of talking to the Education that may not otherwise spread be heard. “Students in MCPS are candidates. student body... I’m pretty sure “I made campaign buttons SGA will continue to be a huge very fortunate to have a student voice on the Board of Education,” that my helpers distributed with part of my life,” said Poland. said RM SGA sponsor Toni Kellinger.

“The SMOB allows for ordinary, everyday students’ concerns to be heard, and it allows the students to take action in helping the board of education and their schools a better place,” said freshman Mahima Dewan.

The SMOB, which was first established in Montgomery County in 1978, allows a studentelected member to hold a spot on the Board of Education.

Many students view reducing the role of standardized testing in the education system as some of the most important issues for the SMOB to address. “I want to see something done to try and make standardized tests not the

May/ June

May 2013

NEWS IN BRIEF

Cicadas return after seventeen years underground

Last seen in 1996, the seventeen-year cicadas are coming back to the eastern United States. For seventeen years, the cicadas have been feeding underground. Between late April and early June, the cicadas nymphs will climb out of the ground, mature into adults, mate, and lay eggs. They will first appear when the ground temperature hits 64 degrees. Within four to six weeks, the adult cicadas will die off, and the new generation will fall from trees and return to the ground.

Adult cicadas are easy to spot, with prominent red eyes and wings. The males’ high pitched mating call is nuisance to many, but the real damage they cause is to plants. Cicadas feed on tree sap and cut open tree branches to lay their eggs in, so states have had to take precautions to protect the trees and shrubs. However, some people are looking forward to the cicadas’ return.

Cicadas are eaten in many cultures, because they are very nutritious, high in protein, but low in unhealthy cholesterol and fats. Many restaurants are taking up the trend of eating cicadas.

Thunder Burger & Bar is serving cicadas in the D.C. area, with dishes like cicada tacos and dark chocolate covered cicada.

by Grace Cheung

Maryland gun turn-in after new gun-control bill

Last month, Maryland legislators passed the Firearm Safety Act, a strict gun control bill in response to December’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Montgomery County police recently instated the first program at the Public Safety Headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland for gun owners to turn in their weapons and ammunition with no questions asked.

Jodi Finkelstein, a volunteer for the program and member of the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, said in an interview with the Gazette that programs such as this one would “benefit violence prevention programs at the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.”

According to the Gazette, Police Sergeant Ken Berger commented that the guns would be checked for proper registration and involvement in any past crimes. The police would then return any stolen guns to their rightful owners. Guns that meet all of the tests are melted down.

The Headquarter has collected a range of weapons totaling to 111 firearms as of Saturday May 11th, 2013. The weapons turned in range from “shotguns, pistols, AK-47s” to a hundred year old pistol, according to the Gazette. Police reported that “about 10,000 rounds of ammunition” were turned in by Saturday evening.

The program is in conjunction with donations from foundations as well as individuals that seek to bring a gradual end to gun-related crimes in the future as well as trace guns to previously unknown weapons in past crimes.

by Sedef Berk

Maryland shifts budget burden to county level

On May 6, the Maryland General Assembly ratified Governor O’Malley’s response to Maryland’s financial shortfalls, an act that shifts a portion of the burden of teacher pension funds from the state level to the county level. Maryland, among numerous other states, has recently faced vast unfunded liabilities in employee retirement programs.

To reconcile this additional burden on county budgets, counties can apply for waivers that would allow schools to receive money from state income taxes.

In addition, state legislators have tightened “maintenanceof-effort” laws, which ensure that schools still receive the same per-student funding each year. These laws prevent the quality of education from deteriorating in the face of tough budgetary conditions.

Politicians and citizens opposed to the shift in pension funds and created the “Maryland Stop the Shift” movement. However, they ultimately failed to garner the necessary support to prevent the state from shifting its budget troubles to the counties.

by Dahlia Wilson and Matthew Zipf

May 24

Last day for seniors You will all be missed!

AWARDS Sophomore Blessed Sheriff won second place at the national Poetry Out Loud Competition, receiving a $10,000 award.

May 27 June 11

Memorial Day No school for students

Seniors Matthew Benjamin, Ellen Hong, Sofia Hu, Emily Jiang, Jonathan Marx, Marni Morse, Joseph Wu, Megan Yan, Kathleen Yu, and David Zhang each received $2,500 National Merit Scholarships.

Senior Addie Nolan had the second-best time over two days of

Graduation 10:00 AM at DAR Constitution Hall

racing at the National Interscholastic Orienteering competition in Kansas.

Junior Savannah Du received the award for Outstanding

June 14

Last day of school Have a great summer!

June 25

Report cards mailed Good luck!

Intepretation of Theme at the National PTSA Reflections competition.

Seniors Alexandra Wong, Eleanor Pershing, Chloe Welmond, and Christopher Broussard won first place in the 2013 Choose Respect Montgomery Teen Dating Public Service Announcement Contest.

NEWS

The Tide

May 2013

3

Upperclassmen take a trip to Paris with prom PROM, contd. from page 1

Junior Shaana Jhangiani said of the music, “I enjoyed some of the dance songs, however a few of them were not as popular.”

Many songs were put together in mashups, however the more popular songs were kept in their original form. Senior Arent Hiltermann said, “I loved the music choices, and it was great to get down and dance with all my friends”.

Prom was planned by both the Junior Class SGA and a yearlong Prom Committee. Junior Treasurer Calvin Chao

said, “Although the planning process began a little slowly, everything worked out perfectly in the end.”

Junior Class SGA Supervisor Aryn Wheeler loved the decorations, and numerous Prom Committee members were pleased with the results of their work.

“It was great seeing the plans we made come to fruition,” said junior Fiona Caretto. “I think our choice of theme and decorations worked very well.”

A big part of Prom this year was the photo booth, which was a large hit among students and teachers.

“The photobooth was my favorite

part, it gave you four pictures with your date or friends and was a really nice party favor,” said Chao. “The line for the booth got long at times, however the booth was quick and easy to operate, so the line kept moving. Students were given two copies of their photos and could take them home as mementos. Many students went back again and again, it was such a blast.”

For those who did not want to dance nonstop, there was ample refreshments and seating areas for groups to lounge and take a break from the energy and excitement of the dance floor. Students streamed from the dance floor to the seating area to the

refreshments.

“The food was delicious, and it was the perfect,” said junior Jessica Young.

The refreshments consisted of healthy snacks and beverages, light and tasty enough to satiate the crowd’s appetite.

Of course, there were many students that danced all night long. The dance floor stayed full for the large portion of the night, and those who grooved on the stage in front of the DJ kept the crowd going. When the night ended, students made their way to home, after parties, or the widely popular school-run Post-Prom to bowl at Shady Grove 300.

PHOTOS BY DAVID CHEN

Left: Prom King Robert Barleta and Queen Deborah Gross slow dance.

Right: Students wave their glow sticks to the beat of the blaring music.

On the Day of Silence, students across the nation ‘spoke’ on harassment and crimes against LGBT minorities

by Sedef Berk and Nikita Sardana The Day of Silence (DOS), a movement that started in 1996, has reached global recognition. Over 8,000 schools nationwide took part in the movement. Created by the Gay-Lesbian-Straight Education Network (GLSEN), DOS began at the University of Virginia and has since become the largest student-run action for LGBT rights, according to the website. At Richard Montgomery, many participants showed their support by wearing the GLSEN sticker, in order to explain their mission.

The Day of Silence centers around the vow of silence that students nationwide take to raise awareness about the harassment of adolescents that are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, or other sexual minorities (LGBT). However, it has left both supporters and opposers wondering about its long-term significance.

Collectively known as the LGBT community, these students are commonly targeted in schools around the nation. Ninety percent of LGBT students have experienced harassment and more than one-third of LGBT teenagers have attempted suicide, according to the National Youth Association. DOS has become an event that all students, regardless of their sexuality, can participate in to show support for their LGBT peers.

“I participated because I felt like I had to honor the LGBT kids who have given up their lives for simply being who they are. That’s the whole purpose of the Day of Silence -- it isn’t necessarily just to show LGBT pride, but to pay respect to those who have lost their lives for this movement,” said an anonymous RM student.

Another student, sophomore and president of RM’s GayStraight Alliance (GSA) Ali Truland said it “is more about expressing solidarity with the LGBT youth movement and, on a personal level, reminding ourselves of what it means to be forced into silence by an oppressive social environment.”

Those who do not support LGBT rights, most commonly the socially conservative, immediately began opposing the Day of Silence. Protests against the movement ranged from peaceful refusal to participate to parents pulling their children out of school.

According to the Save California Organization, a conservative nonprofit organization, the Day of Silence is a form of “silent civil disobedience.”

They also raised concerns over college participation, because

the participants “wear prohomosexuality t-shirts, buttons, and stickers... and take over the campus for a day.”

However, DOS encourages participants to peacefully and legally protest under their First Amendment guarantee of free speech.

Many school districts have taken a neutral stance and will not punish silent students that do not cause a disturbance to the classroom. More than 15 MCPS schools, including RM, already recognize and participate in the Day of Silence, according to the Washington Post.

Out of about 2,500 RM students, approximately 50 fully participated in the Day of Silence, according to Truland. However, this is not to say that DoS did not cause some stirring in the school community. “It definitely starts conversations,” Truland said.

International attention has been also been brought to LGBT rights in the last few months.

Countries including New Zealand, Russia, and Singapore began participating in the DoS, according to its website.

DOS participation has grown since the movement began, increasing from about 150 students participating at the University of Virginia to over 8,000 schools participating nationally, in addition to global participation.

This increase may in part be due to growing social acceptance of the LGBT community. Fiftythree percent of Americans now support same-sex marriage, according to an April NBC poll, and twelve states, including Maryland, have legalized it.

Regardless of whether one supports or opposes the Day of Silence, it has undoubtedly

increased awareness about the LGBT community and its ongoing struggle for equality.

50

RM students fully participated in the Day of Silence

8,000

schools, worldwide, participated in the Day of Silence

53%

of Americans support same-sex marriage, according to a NBC April poll

12

states recognize same-sex marriages

32

states do not recognize same-sex marriages PHOTO BY GABBY BROOKS

Students participating in the Day of Silence carried around cards explaining their cause.

4

The Tide

New red-light cameras generate resentment, revenues

by Claire Luo The City of Rockville recently added three new red-light cameras at major intersections in the city. The completed construction of the new cameras has received growing resentment from the drivers within the city, many of whom view it more as an attempt to generate revenue than to protect the safety of its citizens.

Currently, violators of traffic laws caught by the cameras are liable to pay a fee of $75, and violations include running through a redlight or turning right on red without completely stopping.

These cameras are the newest addition resulting from the coordination between the City Police Department and Traffic and Transportation Division, which started its operation to enforce red-light cameras in 2002. However, the collaboration picked up steam in 2012, when it replaced and moved the original ten cameras to more opportune locations, in addition to creating a full-time Photo Enforcement Unit, according to its website.

The number of people receiving the red-light tickets has more than doubled from 2011 to 2012 because of these new measures, according to the City of Rockville’s website. The city gained nearly $700,000 from the cameras between the two years, NBC local news found when recently evaluating the increase in tickets.

“In our area we suffer from an extreme overabundance of cameras; the reason for that being

drivers who unintentionally drove even slightly beyond the white line, or failed to come to a complete stop before turning right on red.

According to the Gazette, Major Michael England of the Rockville City Police pointed to the new technology used in the cameras as the source of the problems and increase in the tickets being issued.

“Prior to the new technology, the violations we caught were those who are going straight through the light or making right turns on red where it was prohibited. So now we’ve added a third tier, those failing to come to a complete stop prior to the stop bar while making a right,” said England.

However, there are differing opinions about the new speed cameras at RM. Senior Arvind Srinivasan is unconcerned with the steady increase of cameras, despite the fact that he drives regularly to school. “The cameras really end up targeting people who don’t know the area they’re driving in well. You only really get a ticket from a camera once, because after that you know not to speed in that area—and if you live around there you see signs warning about cameras and don’t speed in the first place,” he said.

Junior Bowen Lian argues speed cameras are ineffective and the system should not be expanded. “It seems to me that a lot of times people figure out where the cameras are and slow down just long enough to pass them before speeding up again.

This jerky driving style would

PHOTO BY MATTHEW ZIPF

The intersection right outside of the school parking lot has not been equipped with a camera, though the City of Rockville is looking for potential places to install more. that the county needs to generate revenue,” said sophomore Dahlia Wilson, who attributed the growth of the cameras to the greed of the city. She opposes the installation of more cameras, like many other student drivers.

“It all only takes a mere equipment change and vendor change, and voilà, the city adds nearly 10,000 more redlight runners than it had the previous year, and a veritable bank vault of new ticket revenue for city coffers,” said American Automobile Association (AAA) Manager of Public and Government Affairs John Townsend II, in a news release.

Townsend also expressed concerns about the system. One of the flaws of the cameras, he stated, is how citations are issued.

He noted that the cameras do not solely target the more reckless drivers in the area. Tickets are issued to safe and responsible

seem to add danger rather than reduce it,” he said.

There is a beacon of hope for those who would rather see the cameras gone, however. In 2009, the AAA issued a statement saying that the Federal Highway Administration found the use of red-light camera stop lines in Rockville do not conform to national standards.

The cameras here to stay, though. The city has yet to take action on these warnings. Sites for the installation of potential cameras are being looked at and evaluated, according to the City of Rockville’s website.

However, there is an ongoing debate on whether the expansion of the cameras is necessary for the safety of pedestrians, as the city claims, or merely to continue -- and perhaps increase -- the revenue generated from the machines.

NEWS

May 2013

PHOTO BY GABBY BROOKS

Photo of the Month As per RM tradition, current seniors drew the emblems of the colleges they will be attending next year on the college banner. Above, senior Daniel Bakhadj draws the University of Pittsburgh’s logo, where he will be attending this fall. The banner is located in front of the media center on Main Street and features a wide variety of colleges from across the country, and even a few schools in other countries.

College Board announces scores will not be invalidated for Quince Orchard AP Psych students

by Gabby Brooks and Matthew Zipf More than 270 students at Quince Orchard High School were faced with the possibility of their Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology exam scores being invalidated. One student recorded a video during the examination and posted it on to social media site Twitter. After looking into the case, the College Board decided not to invalidate the test scores; however, specific information will not be disclosed about the student who posted the video because of confidentiality, according to the Washington Post.

The video, which was taken in the test center, showed students walking down an aisle before taking the exam. It was uploaded onto Twitter using Vine, a mobile app that enables users to film and upload six second videos.

While the video did not show the examination, it did show something in a plastic bag, which the school Principal Carole Working said might have been a test, according to the Washington Post.

“I think cellphones are so much a part of life now, it is hard for kids to process that this is actually a moment it has to be all the way off the hip, turned off,” Principal Working said in an interview with the Gazette.

“I think it was really stupid for the student to take a video, let alone even bring her phone. She jeopardized everyone’s scores for no reason. She’s really lucky that College Board decided not to invalidate everyone’s scores,” said junior Meg Giitter.

The College Board’s AP exam policy states that students should not bring electronic equipment, including cell phones, to the exam. Students that do bring electronic devices are required to put them in a bin before the exam and give it to the exam proctors. Having such prohibited devices is seen as misconduct and

may result in the invalidation of either the individual student or all the students taking the exam, according to the College Board’s website.

Principal Working said that the 274 students taking the AP Psychology exam were “very concerned” to hear the final decision from the College Board, according to the Washington Post.

Had College Board decided to invalidate their scores, they could have lost their chance to receive college credit, as well as losing the $89 testing fee.

Before taking their exams, students are reminded to avoid bringing their cell phones. They are also required to put their cell phones in the designated bin, and are given a final warning before the exam begins.

“This is reason why College Board is so adamant that students do not bring any electronic devices into the testing room,” RM’s AP test coordinator Ruby Tate said, emphasizing that students should simply part with their phones rather than risk the nullification of their scores.

“The college board has been known in the past to cancel the test scores of every person in the test situation when something

like that happens,” Ms. Tate warned, adding that she was “very grateful it wasn’t RM.” So far, no misconduct has occurred at RM this year.

Sometimes, though, an AP testing violations, such as cellphone usage, occur without fully compromising the test scores. “[The College Board tries] to investigate to see how much of a disturbance it really was,” said Ms. Tate, acknowledging that each incident is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The general sentiment among the Quince Orchard community was that school testing policies need to be addressed, and many felt that the seriousness of the incident was a wake-up call for stricter regulations, according to the Gazette.

However, Principal Working told the Gazette that she is, “not sure that [school policy] was the issue,” doubting that a change in exam procedures could prevent such incidents.

Ms. Tate agreed that such incidents are rare. “I think, so far, we haven’t had them actually cancel anyone’s scores,” Ms. Tate said, reflecting on her nine years as a test proctor. “But it could happen.”

GRAPHIC BY SAVANNAH DU

Having scores cancelled due to cell phone use can add to the stress of studying for and taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

The Tide

The Tide Editorial:

May 2013

OPINIONS

5

Lessons learned after 4 years

Working on The Tide for four years has taught us how to write and edit. But the most important lesson learned from years of sculpting The Tide is the necessity of school newspapers.

Student newspapers fill two important niches in a school.

First, they provide invaluable first-hand insight into the role responsibilities of a journalist.

Second, they are an outlet for student perspectives. The paper is most valuable to the community when it honestly embodies the student voice. Admittedly, this may clash with the school administration’s view, but it is still important for students to read about the issues through the eyes of their classmates.

However, school newspapers are held to a higher degree of regulation according to the 1988 Supreme Court decision in Hazelwood School District v.

Kuhlmeier. The Court upheld the right of administrators at Hazelwood East High School to censor stories in a student newspaper concerning teen pregnancy and the effects of divorce on children. That decision set the precedent allowing public schools to censor student publications if they believe that the articles can cause harm to a productive learning environment.

According to Hazelwood, student newspapers are not “public forums” of student expression, and, thus, First Amendment rights are not protected to the same extent.

The Court decided that material that is “inadequately researched, biased or prejudiced, vulgar or profane” is potentially censorable. Potentially sensitive topics, such as “the particulars of teenage sexual activity in a high school setting” and “speech that might reasonably be perceived to advocate drug or alcohol use” may also be censored. In addition, the Court said school officials may censor material that would “associate the school with anything other than neutrality on matters of political controversy.”

Hazelwood allows school administrators prior review, meaning they may review the newspaper articles before they

Letters to the Editor Seniors should appreciate RM memories I will definitely miss Richard Montgomery and all the great memories that I’ve made here. I’m grateful to all of the fantastic teachers that I’ve had for the last four years for their guidance and help, and I know my fellow seniors feel the same way. I can’t wait to graduate and go to college and I know I will look back at these wonderful years fondly!

PHOTO BY SARAH KROSNICK

Editors-in-chief Sofia Hu, David Chen, Megan White, and Marni Morse send their thanks and good-byes to all who contributed to The Tide.

are even published. Readers may not even realize the publication is being reviewed, because it occurs prior to printing.

Fortunately, there are recent indications that student newspapers will soon have the same rights as other publications.

According to Scholastic, “in two federal court cases, judges have held that extracurricular publications may be beyond ‘Hazelwood’s’ reach.” Moreover, according to the Hazelwood decision, administrators may only censor articles “reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns.” If this standard is not met, an article may still be published.

Of course, like any news media, The Tide is subject to First Amendment restrictions against defamation. The articles in The Tide cannot and should not be libelous. However, this sort of restriction can occur without quashing student opinions.

According to the Montgomery Public County Schools’ regulation, JFA-RA, printed schoolsponsored publications may only have content censored if it is “in violation of law or Montgomery County Board of Education polices and/or MCPS regulations, poses a potential threat to the health and/or safety of students, might reasonably be perceived to advocate student drug, alcohol and tobacco use, violence, sex, illegal discrimination, or other illegal activities, contains language that is obscene, libelous,

slanderous, or profane, or causes or might reasonably be predicted to cause substantial disruption of or material interference with school activities.”

Beyond those limitations, students may determine what content is published. The advisor is responsible for ensuring that “variety of viewpoints are represented in school newspapers and that members of the school community have an opportunity to express their views through the newspaper.” Beyond that, MCPS does not permit additional censorship.

It is not a student newspaper’s responsibility to depict the school in the best light possible. Rather, it is the student journalist’s responsibility to tell the news honestly. We hope a new generation of writers and editors will remember this as they continue the important role of the student journalist.

To our dedicated writers and editors, to our supportive advisor, Mrs. MacFarlane, and to the fantastic administration, thank you. Thanks to the support of the school, The Tide is able to manifest these student voices into a powerful newspaper.

With much love, David Chen, Sofia Hu, Marni Morse and Megan White NYU ’17, Cornell ’17, Princeton ’17, Florida State ‘17

Poll of the month: How does testing anxiety impact your exam performance?

think a little pressure sometimes helps me perform better on

by Ramnik Dhingra exams.”

However, those who undergo an abundance of anxiety during In today’s high-pressure an exam may also not be able to society, most students have faced do well due to excessive nerves. testing anxiety at least a few times “A healthy amount of in their lives, especially around anxiety drives you to prepare the test, but too much leads Negatively 67% for to unnecessary stress that can hinder your performance,” said sophomore Madhav Mathur.

Although testing anxiety seems unnecessary, it is essential to have a balance in order to succeed.

Nevertheless, the amount of anxiety a student feels is not the only factor affecting their performance.

“I don’t get nervous when I feel prepared for the exam. It all really depends on how well I know the material,” said junior Positively 26% Madeleine Pituscan.

No Effect 7% A sample of 123 students was used to create these results. Data was Hopefully, everyone will collected from RM Broadcasting Channel from May 1-3, 2013. work past the stress! this time of the year.

As many as 20% of students have high testing anxiety, according to the American Test Anxiety Association.

Junior Sarah Wu claims, “I have never truly experienced negative testing anxiety. In fact, I

-Angela Lei, 12th grade

Prom theme will create a fun atmosphere I feel that prom is definitely the most exciting dance because there are no underclassmen and it’s at a fancy hotel. I really like the theme this year since it’s Paris themed which means nice lighting and an enjoyable, romantic atmosphere. Overall, I know this year’s prom will be a great experience!

-Calvin Chao, 11th grade

Schoolwork on top of APs is stressful I feel that the toughest thing about AP tests is balancing dayto-day class work with studying for your exams. Often, teachers from non-AP classes assign a lot of projects in the days leading up to our exams, adding unwanted burdens to an already stressful workload. I understand that teachers have to finish the curriculum but if feels like they aren’t keeping in mind the pressure that APs create for students.

-Susanqi Jiang, 10th grade

Students take final exam week in stride From a freshman’s perspective, the final exams are not a truly significant event. They’re not particularly terrifying and they’re not as pointless as they were in middle school. To be honest, final exam week is sort of fun, as you get to leave school early and spend some time with your friends at Town Center. And for those of you who find exams difficult, just remember: summer!

-Dash Yeatts-Lonske, 9th grade

Please send any comments as letters to the editor to tide.opinions@gmail.com.

Submissions may be edited for length and/or clarity.

The Tide

250 Richard Montgomery Drive Rockville, Maryland 20852 www.rmtide.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.

1,000 copies of the newspaper are printed and disctributed among students.

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.

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6

The Tide

OPINIONS

May 2013

Black & Gold Should school resource officers be allowed to use weapons on students?

SROs make our school a safer place

by Nathan Li In the eyes of many, the taser is a symbol of police brutality. However, stories in the media about officers abusing their power and recklessly using their weapons paint an unfair picture of the vast majority of police officers, who responsibly use their arms to protect their communities.

Last month, a School Resource Officer, or SRO, tasered a student at Montgomery Blair High School after the girl became

may require the aid of a weapon, such as the taser.

SROs are highly trained law enforcement officials who take a very conservative approach to the use of tasers, and can be trusted not to use their weapons indiscriminately.

The officer at Blair, for example, used her weapon in a responsible manner.

According to Blair sophomore Antares Chen, who witnessed the incident firsthand, “The officer tried a bunch of times to talk the girl into going back inside, but then the girl just punched the policewoman in the

GRAPHIC BY LILY XU

GRAPHIC BY SAVANNAH DU

SROs bring a sense of safety to schools because they have the power to diffuse potentially dangerous situations by using their weapons responsibly and with discretion. combative upon being told to go to class.

The student was sent to the hospital as a standard precaution and suffered no lasting injury. While this incident may cause some to question the role of SROs in our schools, it actually highlights the importance of SROs and their ability to use weapons.

While the security team at Richard Montgomery does a great job maintaining the peace and protecting the students, its members are only human. With just six unarmed guards keeping an eye on over 2000 students, as well as the many visitors to the building, the team needs all the help it can get in making sure that no security threats slip between the cracks.

That is where SROs come in. As members of the Montgomery County police force, they serve as the bridge between our police department and our schools. They are another line of defense in protecting the student body, enforcing the law, making arrests, and investigating serious security threats.

In 2010, MCPS had one SRO for every high school with six additional sergeants as supervisors. Today, due to recent budget cuts, MCPS has only six total officers patrolling its 26 high schools.

This reduction in manpower makes the remaining SROs even more vital to the security of MCPS, as each officer must now cover multiple high schools, as well as provide support for the elementary and middle schools in their jurisdiction.

While carrying out their duties, SROs are sometimes confronted with situations in which they need to use physical force to defend themselves. As trained police officers, SROs can handle themselves in most situations, but if an aggressive student resists discipline, the local SRO

B

Black

face. The officer only pulled out the taser in self-defense.”

While the use of tasers may be inappropriate in most situations, students who are willing to assault a law enforcement official are dangers to themselves and those around them.

Physical confrontations with such students become increasingly dangerous if the officer is not able to quickly subdue the assailant. The use of weapons, like tasers, by the SROs is necessary to prevent these escalations because it shuts down fights quickly, before the student causes serious harm to themselves or others.

Without these tools, our officers would

“SROs are another line of defense in protecting the student body and investigating serious security threats.” be forced to engage in prolonged physical confrontations with aggressive students that become increasingly dangerous for both the officer and the student.

When the security threat goes beyond just brawling teens, SROs become more important than ever, and as recent events have shown, the possibility of an armed and dangerous individual entering the building with the intention of harming students is very real.

Under such circumstances, tasers would allow SROs to confront the threatening individual without resorting to deadly force. As non-lethal alternatives to firearms, tasers are also far less dangerous to bystanders.

While it would be ideal to live in a world in which weapons are never needed, the reality is that we live in a violent and dangerous world where every additional security measure matters.

G

More weapons lead to more violence

by Sedef Berk Just a few weeks ago, on April 18th, a tasing incident at Montgomery Blair High School re-ignited the debate already raging about the use of guns in schools. In this case, the weapons were in the hands of School Resource Officers (SROs), policemen charged with the task of protecting our schools.

That day at Blair, an SRO used a taser on a female student who had become combative after being instructed to go to class. In an interview with the Blair student newspaper, Montgomery Blair principal Renay Johnson commented on the girl’s “belligerent and out of control nature.”

The girl was taken to the hospital due to the severity of the burn left by the taser, which had sent a needle under her skin.

According to WUSA, the student was later charged with “second degree assault and disruption of school” for her behavior.

This incident at Montgomery Blair, when placed in context of the Newtown shooting in December, indicates a need for a renewed MCPS focus on the day-to-day protection of its students. The threat of shootings and mass assaults SROs, therefore, fill a

“SROs’ ability to carry and use weapons creatse an atmosphere that only induces violence and inhibits learning.” necessary role in schools.

However, SROs’ freedom to carry and use firearms on students raises the question of whether they are protecting or hurting their students, both physically and emotionally.

Many people calling for the end to the SRO program believe that the presence of guns and other weapons in schools compromises students’ mental safety and security. Others argue that the SRO program is unnecessary, amidst all of the budget shortfalls. Practically, the SROs would not be able to prevent a mass shooting such as the Newtown Shooting due to the size and constant activity at MCPS schools.

Budget cuts have also reduced the number of SROs in MCPS from one in every school to six serving the entire

Gold county, limiting their effectiveness. The SROs carry firearms and weapons and are instructed to use them if necessary.

This creates additional controversy among parents and students, because according to research by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, the presence of an armed official in a school would “create a very dangerous situation” for the official and for the students in the building.

The Harvard Injury Research Center’s study proceeds to argue that SROs cause students to “expect a shooting,” as the presence of armed officials represents the ability to injure or even kill someone.

Critics also claim that the SRO program introduces students to the criminal justice program prematurely, as the implementation of SROs nationwide has also led to an increase in student arrests.

This can have overwhelmingly negative effects on those students who, like the girl at Blair, have a direct confrontation with their SRO. Articulating this fear of a violenceinfused school atmosphere, senior Josh Weaver commented that “more people with guns does not prevent gun violence, it exacerbates it.” Junior Jade Ye agreed that “SROs would cause students to be more defensive and even more likely to retaliate.” She added that while having an armed official in the building can be comforting, “it is scary and gives a feeling of oppression in practice.”

The Maryland PTA has taken a stance opposing the SRO system and any other security regimen that exposes students to guns. Instead, it supports a “weapon-free defense program,” according to MDPTA President Rita Lowman. In line with this theory, many parents and educators feel that funds would be better directed towards adding or improving counseling services.

Overall, student resource officers, while effective in establishing a relationship between students and the police department, are not the answer to pressing questions about the safety of MCPS students. While the need for comprehensive school security is undeniable, SROs’ ability to carry and use weapons on students creates an atmosphere that only induces violence and inhibits learning.

PHOTO BY EMILY MA .

Security guards are important since they effectively ensure student safety, especially during open lunch where numerous students leave and enter through the doors.

The Tide

OPINIONS

May 2013

7

Standing up for the pledge and students’ civil liberties

by Dahlia Wilson

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, the state division of the national interest group that has made waves for its ardent protection individual freedoms, has been forced to intervene at Damascus High School in a controversial case regarding students’ right to remain seated during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Sophomore Enidris Siurano-Rodriguez was reportedly sitting quietly in her first period class during the Pledge, when the teacher decided to “harass” her about the action, according to a letter from ACLU attorney David Rocah to Joshua Starr,

“The Supreme Court has explicitly ruled that civil liberties inherent in our Constitution protect students from being forced to salute the Amerian flag or stand for the Pledge.” the Montgomery County Public School superintendent.

After Rodriguez refused to stand at the teacher’s behest, she was sent to the assistant principal’s office. It was here when the school’s vice principal Karen Rose agreed with the teacher that Rodriguez should have stood for the Pledge and made a call home to her parents, threatening the rather extreme action of removing her from

the class if she persisted.

Rodriguez and the ACLU have made very clear in the days following the event that Roderiguez is protested by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The First Amendment protects all students’ rights to refuse to stand for the Pledge due to their religious or political beliefs.

The Supreme Court has explicitly ruled that civil liberties inherent in our Constitution protect students from being forced to salute the American flag or stand for the Pledge if either action conflicted with their personal beliefs in the 1943 case of West Virginia Board of Education v.

Barnette.

Rodriguez explained that, initially, when the teacher requested she stand, she felt obliged to obey out of respect. “It was in my government class, ironically, that I learned that my teacher was violating my civil rights,” Rodriguez said.

In Attorney Rocah’s letter to MCPS, it was detailed how Rodriguez refused to stand because of clear political motives.

Rodriguez — whose family is originally Puerto Rican — does not feel the United States government has been adequately handling the political situation in Puerto Rico, one of its most prominent territories.

The letter stated, “[Rodriguez] has sat in her seat each morning during the Pledge since seventh grade because the United States government imposes conditions on Puerto Rico, as a territory, that she feels are undemocratic.”

In a non-binding referendum taken in the territory last year, 61% of respondents felt that admission as a state would be preferable to their current territorial status.

Such a move would allow Puerto Ricans to retain their United States citizenship but also be far more involved in political matters.

A smaller but still sizable proportion of the island’s population advocates for

PHOTO BY RACHIT AGARWAL

Students have a constitutional right to abstain from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

School administrators have a duty to ensure that their students’ rights are protected.

Puerto Rico to become an independent from Roberto Clemente Middle School commonwealth altogether, or its own in 2010, where reactions to a student’s country. refusal to recite the Pledge were even more Unfortunately, this is the fifth time the extreme than in Rodriguez’s incident. The ACLU has had to get involved with a case middle school student was purportedly about MCPS students’ First Amendment escorted to the principal’s office along with rights. multiple school security officers.

Attorney Rocah has demanded that the A student who does not pose a serious Board of Education issue an apology for risk to anyone in the school, and who does their harassment not only to Rodriguez but not act as a disturbance to the class, as to the four other students who were victims Rodriguez did not, should not be treated in this ongoing debate. so harshly. Especially when politically Legally speaking, Montgomery County motivated, students who demonstrate a does not have valid legal standing to measure of free will in the name of making justify the extreme actions exhibited by the a statement should not be punished. teachting staff at Damascus High School.

The violation of students’ civil rights The Supreme Court and higher-ranking should not be left unremarked upon.

Maryland officials have specified it is the As highlighted by Rodriquez, “I would duty of principals and teachers to be aware absolutely like an apology not just for me of their students’ civil liberties, and to but for all the students that this happens respect their defined right not to stand for to. I definitely feel the policy should be the Pledge. implemented better, teachers should know The most recent report of this issue came what the policy is.”

Advertisements in schools: intrusive or practical?

Many school districts have faced hard financial times recently, prompting some of them to seek additional funding in the form of corporate advertising: that is, allowing outside companies to place advertisements for their products on school property. Not only would these advertisements generate a healthy amount of much-needed extra revenue, they would also have a plethora of other benefits for the entire district.

While the introduction of commercial brands into the school environment may have a negative stigma attached to it, in reality, advertising has many positive effects.

The utilization of in-school advertising is beneficial to both the school and the company who sponsors them. Combining the corporate and educational sectors gives the companies an additional marketing option to a wide student and teacher demographic, and the schools receive additional funding with little to no consequence to their educational standards.

Advertisements are an intrinsic part of our lives. They bombard us incessantly: appearing online, in between the television shows, and even around our neighborhoods.

Now imagine if they appeared on the side of RM’s school buses or all over our school lockers. Would we really want one of the last ad free places in our lives to be infected with this commercial plague?

Educational systems do not have the right to use students as outlets for revenue. Though the money received from corporations may ultimately be used to improve school environments, subjecting students to advertising not only influences the way they think, but also exposes them to potentially harmful products.

Schools should be teaching students to be independent thinkers, not distracting them with flashy ads that place students under the influence of money-minded corporations. Incorporating ads into a school life endorses all of the principles schools should be discouraging, such as forming opinions based on superficial

The positive effects extend beyond monetary gain into educational benefits.

The Common Core State Standard Initiative, a program that has already been adopted in 45 states, has set a new standard for student learning that includes commercialization.

Under the new concepts, a greater amount of contemporary literature will be used in schools to create documents that are more authentic and relatable for students to analyze. The insertion of commercial brands in said documents, such as Lego, makes the analytical passages more accessible and relatable to students.

- David Ngyuen

The murals that cover the stairwells and hallways are very unique to our school. While we take the pleasant sight of the murals for granted, in schools across the country, walls are being covered with unattractive corporate advertisements.

From buses to lockers, various school districts have resorted to selling advertising space in order to generate extra revenue.

This begs the question: do we want to see advertisements in school day after day? In a world already saturated with commercials, school districts would have to carefully scrutinize any advertisement they allow to protect their students.

GRAPHIC BY LILY XU .

If RM allows corporations to advertise in schools, obnoxious lockers like these could become a reality for students. However, the ads would raise revenue significantly. qualities, and carelessly spending money on When schools do not receive sufficient unnecessary items. Allowing advertising in funding, they must find alternate methods schools ultimately hinders the development to raise revenue, such as renting out school of independent values and is akin to forcing facilities, in order to successfully provide a students to watch brainwashing capitalist comprehensive education. marketing campaigns.

Recently, some schools have turned Are the minuscule profits from to advertisements to get the money they corporations’ advertisements really worth need. Allowing advertisements in schools tainting the virtuous developing minds of is definitely appropriate since profits future America? Hopefully, schools will gained from advertising will only be used never need to sacrifice the peace of mind to benefit students. Schools are right to of students for minimal amounts of money. capitalize on the empty space on school - Jennifer Zhang property to raise much needed funds.

However, this process is more difficult than it seems. If, for example, a school district were to sell ad space to a clothing store, what types of models would be appropriate to show in schools? Advertisements can have potentially negative effects to students who see them every day, in terms of self-esteem and individuality issues.

Certain advertisements might result in conformity or an overly commercialized attitude in students. School districts must realize that any advertisement they place in schools will affect the student population in potentially damaging ways.

Because of these issues, a huge amount of regulation would be needed in choosing these advertisements. This subjective process of screening advertisements would outweigh the potential benefits. Schools must account for the type of advertisements, the prominence of advertisements, the extent to which advertisements would impede students’ studies, and a plethora of other issues that make this idea unfeasible.

- Trinish Chatterjee According to the Association of American Educators, “Jefferson County Public Schools, is projected to pocket $90,000 over the course of three years” from Collegeinvest, a company that provides college savings plans. Significant earnings such as these will clearly have a large impact on a school’s quality of education.

Also, such advertisements are arelevant to students. Collegeinvest’s purpose, to help students plan for the cost of college, aligns with the County’s mission to “prepare all students for a successful future.”

Furthermore, advertising is already present in our schools. We see advertising everyday in the form of vending machine snacks and textbooks. Whether consciously or not, schools influence one’s choice to purchase a product – which is ultimately advertising. Schools need to recognize that they are already advertising should take advantage of this opportunity to raise money.

- Jack Qian

8

The Tide

May 2013

RM Film Festival showcases student talent

by Yinka Laniyonu and Gabriel Guedes Not very many people profess to be devoted fans of Yugoslav cinema or avid followers of Cristian Mungiu.

However, on May 15, such a plethora of critics and movie lovers desiring the best in modern film flocked to the southern coastal city of Cannes, France, for the annual Cannes Film Festival.

Dating back to the 1940’s, the festival is known for attracting a diverse lineup of international films from famous directors such as Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese to relatively unknown names such as China’s Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) and Austria’s Michael Haneke (Amour).

“It provides a gateway for [international] filmmakers to express themselves,” said freshman Rachit Agarwal. “It gives the general public a chance to learn about the influence of art and film in the world.”

Filmmakers vied for the approval of a jury of eight prominent film figures chaired by Steven Spielberg. This special jury awarded the Palme d’Or to the director of the best feature film in the In Competition category.

On opening night, thousands gathered in the Théâtre Lumière for a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Following was the viewing of 20 officially selected films that not only vie for one of the most prestigious awards in international cinema,

PHOTO BY YINKA LANIYONU

Former student Kieran Duffy (‘12) stars in the award-winning documentary “Life of a Longboarder.” but also aim to shine a light on their respective countries.

The festival itself is a symbol of diversity, an exposition of film from countries that are not traditionally recognized as being prominent members of in the international film community. The wide variety of countries allows insight into the different cultures that each respective place has to offer, and how unique characteristics may impact plot elements and cinematographic decisions.

Many films were also screened in the Un Certain Regard category, which explores works regarded as original or different— films that would not usually seek international recognition.

This category is where films

attempting more experimental techniques, unique storylines, or even controversial subjects may reach a wider audience and compete for their own award.

Meanwhile, RM students have recently participated in their own Student Film Festival, where students were able to submit their pieces for competitive screening. “[One] thing I love about filmmaking is to see the audience’s reactions. It is a special feeling to thoroughly entertain someone so they get lost in your movie,” said sophomore Frank Most, whose piece won the competition.

IB Film students had the opportunity to submit their documentaries, public service announcements, and music videos to the MCPS Environmental Film

Festival in April. Juniors Brendan Luu, Matthew Fitzgerald, and Yinka Laniyonu won first place at the AFI Theater in Silver Spring for their documentary “Life of a Longboarder.” “Filming is dope,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s a great medium of self-expression, artistically and through meaning.”

His attitude is reflective of that of the many attendees at Cannes, even those who have already made a name for themselves in the film industry.

Each director has his own creative spirit, his own soul that gives his films a unique flair. Each director was once a student, a naive but explorative artist looking to orient themselves in the world. That, ultimately, is the spirit of Cannes.

Sochi and Rockville prepare in wake of Boston

by Claire Luo The attack on the Boston Marathon killed three bystanders and injured over two hundred people on April 15.

Though both suspects were eventually arrested or killed, sporting event coordinators around the world are heightening security at their events in response to these horrific events and to prepare for future possible attacks.

Organizers of the London Marathon, which was held less than a week after the Boston Marathon, responded by honoring the Boston victims with a moment of silence before the race. The commander of the event, Chief Superintendent Julia Pendry, also confirmed that security arrangements were evaluated and reviewed following the explosions in Massachusetts.

On the other hand, in an interview with the English news organization Daily Mail, London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel expressed his doubts about increasing security at such events in the future. “When you have an event of any nature—a marathon, parade... it’s only as safe as the city itself. If it’s not held in a stadium you can’t do a lockdown like you may do in a building,” he said Echoing this statement , sophomore Nancy Jiang said, “it would be virtually impossible to implement things such as security checks at huge events, because there are likely places one can

view [the] event without having to actually be in the stadium, arena, etc.”

However, the organizing committee of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia seems to think otherwise. According to the Huffington Post, Dmitry Chernyshenko, chief of the 2014 Sochi Organizing Committee, has reported that the already serious security measures at the Sochi Olympics will be further tightened starting June 1.

Nonetheless, there is much debate over what schools should do to prevent any similar acts during school-wide sporting

events.

“The school could require bag checks before getting into sporting events,” said freshman JV basketball player Kimberly Steininger. However, despite her suggestion for better security at RM games, Steiniger added that she “[doesn’t] think it would be necessary.”

“The amount of security needed must ultimately be judged on a case-by-case basis,” said senior tennis player Preston Ge. He clarified that “a school sporting event does not even come close to having the same social, economic, or political importance of an event

like the Olympics…and thus is almost certainly not going to be a viable target for a terrorist attack.

There is absolutely no reason for schools to increase security at school-wide sporting events.”

Despite the recent global “security race,” local events still do not warrant the same level of security as prestigious events such as the Olympics.

Though safety is important, many students agree that due to the lack of exposure and relevance of high school sports, it is completely unnecessary for the school to take further security measures.

GRAPHIC BY LILY XU

Security at Russia’s 2014 Sochi Olypmics will be tightened in response to the Boston bombings.

May 2013 9 INTERNATIONAL Cultural Club of the Month: Model UN promotes global learning The Tide

by Jamie Gordy Model United Nations is full of many different activities: debating relevant issues such as carbon emissions and the FIFA World Cup, meeting and connecting with students from around the world, and developing as a speaker and debater.

Model UN is a club where students participate in simulations of United Nations committees.

According to one of this year’s consulate officers, senior Kiera Givens, students also “book hotels, register with the conference, and decide on transportation.”

Through Model UN, students learn about the international system from both political and legal perspectives, while also testing their negotiation, judgment, and problem-solving skills.

On February 14, the RM Model

GRAPHIC BY MODEL UN

The NAIMUN conference celebrated 50 years of global understanding.

UN club attended the North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) conference hosted by Georgetown University, shortly after attending another conference at William and Mary College in November.

NAIMUN hosts 37 committees, including standard committees such as the UN General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council.

Delegates can also come up with new solutions to issues of the past in historical committees and participate in crisis simulations of various regional and international organizations.

Committees are spread across a broad range of topics and can be set anywhere from ancient Roman times to the modern day.

At each conference, delegates are assigned to a committee focusing on certain topics.

The delegates then write a position paper pertaining to their topic and spend the committee sessions debating, brainstorming solutions, and writing mock legislative resolutions to address their committee’s assigned issues. “[E]verybody would frantically pass notes around trying to get people on their side,” recalled sophomore Peter Szwerc.

All the issues pertain to international issues such as controlling carbon emissions or aiding war refugees.

Delegates debate in moderated caucuses where each delegate discusses a certain country’s position on the issue.

They can also form coalitions

PHOTO BY JAMIE GORDY

At the opening ceremony of the NAIMUN, Secretary-General Theresa Lou welcomed the delegates. to pass a resolution and are able to add amendments through passing notes in sessions and unmoderated caucuses.

At NAIMUN, most delegates are from the United States, but schools from around the world also come to the conference.

“I got to debate and interact with delegates from all over the world. I actually made friends with a guy from China,” said freshman Anagha Lokhande, reflecting on her enjoyable weekend at the Model UN conference in Georgetown.

Though the club typically attends two to three conferences every year, Model UN is not

all about conferences. For many members, Model UN is most rewarding as a learning opportunity.

“My favorite thing about Model UN was learning about really interesting topics from multiple points of view,” said Givens.

“For example, if I hadn’t done Model UN, I would have never learned about war looting or the UN policies on war refugees. “ Givens is not the only one who has learned from Model UN. “Model UN was an incredibly educational and international multicultural experience,” affirmed Lockande. “It was a

Rising tensions between North Korea and South Korea worry analysts but not students

by Jimmy Li The war between North Korea and South Korea never officially ended. The armistice in 1953 did not formally end the state of war, but rather simply ended hostilities. Though North Korea and South Korea are separated by a demilitarized zone, conflicts still occur between the two countries.

North Korea declared that the armistice was invalid after the United Nations (U.N.) increased sanctions on North Korea.

Sanctions were increased due to a third nuclear test carried out

by North Korea on February 12, 2013.

The U.N. sanctions aim to shut down cash transfers and funding of North Korea’s nuclear arms program. China, one of North Korea’s biggest trading partners and allies, has terminated the account of a suspected North Korean nuclear financer.

“Like they’ve always done, North Korea is just trying to parade nonfunctional missiles in an attempt to receive aid.”

-junior Anthony Gonzalez “Beijing is sending a signal to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that he’d better stop ignoring China’s demands and creating instability on the Korean

GRAPHIC BY JIMMY LI

North Korea’s estimated missle range is shown above. The range may increase in the coming years, depending on whether the country continues its weapons program. peninsula,” said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at Renmin University, in a statement with BBC. The estimated nuclear missile range of North Korea includes Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, as well as Japan.

A poll conducted by Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbum in 2010 reported that 43% of Japanese adults felt “extremely threatened” by North Korea’s nuclear program.

However, a telephone survey conducted by the Asian Institute for Policy Studies found that

58.8% of those surveyed in South Korea felt satisfied with South Korea’s long term security, even after North Korea’s third nuclear test.

Outside of the Koreas, RM students are not worried about North Korean nuclear threats and do not believe that the U.S. has a responsibility to intervene in North Korea despite its suspected nuclear power.

Sophomore Shubankhar Viragi cites the possible risks of taking action before North Korea has made any real attacks.

“Searching for nuclear

weapons will only increase resentment and animosity. Also, we are all aware of Iraq’s results,” he said, reflecting on the many deaths caused by the War on Terror.

Sophomore Albert Park, a student who has family in South Korea, also looks at the past for advice for the future.

He is neither surprised nor bothered by North Korea’s recent threats.

“It’s nothing new that North Korea has been belligerent. It may have come a bit close, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. They even sunk a warship and shelled an island.

Nothing was done then, nothing will probably be done now,” concluded Park.

“Like they’ve always done, North Korea is just trying to parade nonfunctional missiles in an attempt to receive aid. Kim Jong-un is not only trying to prove something to the world, but to his own military leaders. It is unlikely that North Korea will actually take action, but if they do it will be negligible,” said junior Anthony Gonzalez.

The South Korean President Park Geun Hye and U.S. President Barack Obama have repeatedly emphasized the deterrence of North Korea’s weapon program but still remain open to negotiations should North Korea change its stance.

Despite international doubts, the leaders must take North Korea’s threats seriously as no one knows what the young Kim Jong-un will do in his late father’s place.

great weekend, and the committee sessions were lots of fun.”

Givens, as an officer, has debated with delegates from all over the world. “Going to 6 conferences really allowed me to explore interesting topics. And, at each conference, because of the way that debate is structured, I got to learn about a ton of different views on the same subject. So basically, I just loved being able to look at unique topics from many different points of view.”

To join Model UN next year, contact modelun.rm@gmail.com for more information.

Country Profile:

North Korea Total Population 24,554,000 Language • Korean Government Type • Communist state One man dictator Religions • Irreligion (64.3%) • Shamanism (16%) • Cheondoism (13.5%) • Buddhism (4.5%) • Christianity (1.7%) Major Cities • Pyongyong, capital (3,260,000) • Hamhung (769,000) Literacy Rate • Male: 99% • Female: 99% Flag

STATISTICS FROM CIA

10 The Tide

Amy Bao: To Jana Lu, you’re the best <3.

To my other favorite juniors and Kevin Ying, take care of the bus, let those kids know who’s boss. To James Yao, stay off the bench next year, hehe. To Oliver Hu, “Broski” is not a thing. To Co-ed Volleyball: No regrets?

Vivian Bui: To darling Alina, I leave you Co-ed to make sure Allen doesn’t say “Rockets on three!” To Co-ed, make playoffs so I can cheer my voice out. To Hayley and Michelle, I leave Resonance.

Serenade Frezzo. To my junior friends, good luck with May exams! You’ll hate it!

Joseph Chazin: To Jacob (J-town) Brown, I leave my ability to carry on the Jewish legacy at RM... Go ham super Jew! To Zack Blanken, I leave another year of routing for the Caps in style, and my good fashion senses. ;) To Galen Bryant, I leave better iPhone games, and unlimited car rides.

To Robert Elenberg, I leave chill moments, and a basketball for ballin with the bros.

Steve Chen: To my brother, remember that I will always love you. To Alice, thanks for being there all the time. To the RM tennis team, good luck next year. To all the wonderful teachers, thank you for everything you have taught me. And to everyone else, stay happy and enjoy high school.

CENTER SPREAD

you all and best wishes for competition next year. You all made my time at RM the best! For Casey, Matt, and Allison may drama be the best for you all!

Juddy Fan: To FTW, I leave FACIALS! (A.K.A. a surplus of cocky smirks). To volleyball, someone to carry on my legacy of dancing for warm-up. To everyone else, the privilege of saying I once went to your school. I demand a quarterly sacrifice.

Levon Favin: To the Black Maskers, I leave the key, as well as my heart. To the Testostertones, I leave high E flats, and practice rooms full of laughter. And to Zander, I leave ~*~my legacy~*~.

Austin Font: When the rivers flowing red, take the dirt road home, motor bikes.

Jamie Gallagher: To mi amigo Christian, I leave my parking spot. Park something more exciting than a Corolla in it. And to Will Simon, AYYY WILL. Just in case I never visit.

Kiera Givens: To my mini-me, It would not be a note from me, If it did not rhyme atrociously. Have a great next three years, Learning about the mirs. Carry on the legacy of the Givens’, And at graduation you’ll have lots of ribbons!

Lots of love, Your mega-you

Victoria Chen: To my afterschool underclassmen buddies, I leave our table in the media center and the “cave”. To Jennifer Z., I leave another derpy math/ chem tutor. To all RM IB underclassmen, I leave coffee, tea, and plenty of snacks to weather through those late nights and early mornings. Good luck!

Deborah Gross: To NHS I leave last minute trips to the grocery store and what feels like thousands of green tutoring forms. To Cross Country. ladies and gents I leave the SHAME GAME and the Twitter.

To mock trial, I leave you a stalker free existence. To the BC Calculus, thanks for the help!

Victoria Cobb: My senior year has been full of adventure and excitement. Knowing that I only have a few more moments with some of my closest friends is bittersweet, but it’s the start of a new beginning.

Jeffrey He: I leave Subong bountiful female companions. To Anatol, hours at the pool. I leave Jennifer Zhang trips to Starbucks. To Mrs. Wheeler, another great swim team, and Mrs. Kellinger, the best SGA in the county. To Charlie Kang, the future of MCR and to Andrew Zhang, an awesome senior year.

Rachel Cole: To the RM Varsity cheerleaders, I leave you a first-place finish (keep it up!). To Rosa and Emily, I leave RM cheer team in your hands. To Anja Aniere, I leave two years of lunch dates behind, and I promise to visit you all the time.

Jerusalem Demsas: To all incoming IB juniors and seniors, I leave dozens of History and English books. They should be in pretty great condition - they never left my locker. To my brother, I leave 2 heartbreakingly difficult and memorable years in IB. Have a blast.

Sam Deutsch: To Sarah and Katie, I leave my failure in math. To Roy, I leave swag and many paper airplanes. To all future physics students, may your knowledge bloom like trees in this phys . To Rachit, I leave nothing.

Hari Devaraj: Andrew Zhang and the Turner, to whom I dedicate my stupidity and my capacity to be a total moron.

Remember: when in doubt, just firetruck everything. IB Chemistry 2013. Never forget. #freesosa #22inchspectroscope Lissette Escobar: To Jana Lu, Mary Melati and Alina Bui, please stay exactly how you are! To my cheerleaders, I love

Claudia Hendrick: To my many children and friends, I leave you the reassurance that you will make it through high school. IB kids, please don’t give yourself ulcers (cough Suzanne, Maitrei cough).

Anatol, please attract more girls to Go club plzkthx. FTW, y’all better continue derping/dancing! Baka Child, don’t forget me. Keep in touch everyone! :) Aren’t Hiltermann: “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to the IB office.” --Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Philip Hoddinott: To Richard Montgomery, I leave several street lights, to be placed in the middle of RM for no apparent reason. And to the students of RM, I leave several people standing on the stairs for no reason whatsoever.

Ellen Hong: To Christian, I leave the job of playing as loudly as you can, all the time. To Sarah B., I leave the clarinet section. To Danny and Ryan, I leave our AWESOME marching band. And to the marching band, I leave my fantastic skills of arm circling.

May 2013

Jason Hsiao: To Raaga and Trisha, please keep blasting Sheila ki Jawani. Tiffany, I’ll miss our walks home together! Ceril, stay hippery; Dylan, stay cute (like always!).

Emma, please eat, drink, and breathe sass...don’t disappoint me. James, wear that Trailblazers hat more often! Jeffrey, Oliver, and Jacob, y’all better dominate next year. And finally Jessica, Directioners (more like Niall) for life!!

Ariel Hsu: To Ms. Stanton, I leave you tons of hearts. To future IB Art 2 generations, good suffering! To Fine Lines (and my bb’s Helen Tan and Amy Wu), the EICs leave you the FL Twerk Team and a magazine you will be proud to represent at CSPA 2014.

Alex Huang: On surviving high school: Take notes in pen. It helps when reviewing.

Sleep early, so you retain more in class and have to study less. Pick classes on interest than on friends-their interests aren’t your own. Avoid ‘falling in love’- the drama will affect you more than you think. Don’t procrastinate. It hurts mentally, physically, and socially.

Brian Huang: To RM, I leave my senior will.

Emily Jiang: To Tai Pai, I love you.

Dear Subong, Remember when we wrote you a song?

Well our love for you is still strong.

Even though on our ways we are going along, In our hearts you will always belong.

Love always, Your Class of 2013 admirers.

Neha Kundagrami: To MyFavoritePatel, I leave admission at Harvard. To MySexiMami, I leave food/love. To Mr. Turner, I leave “Honorary-SeventhPeriod-Crackhead.” To Trinish, I leave you as the only Nautoco@RM. To Phoebe, lunch dates. To Saron, brownies. To ShanSquared, doodles. To Sarah E and Bowen, my useless advice. To Eileen and Kitty, cursing.

Madison Kunstman: To Michelle N. I leave you friends, and the universe.

To Johnathan H., PEW PEW. I win.

Definitively. To Evan K., you can’t have my room. To Andy and Sophie, stay classy.

To all O.H.K members, make sure T.J. and Gretta get together. To all underlings, get your senioritis vaccine now.

Alan Lang: For the love of God, install barriers between the urinals in the boy’s bathroom. For the love of God. Andrew Liu: To Christina Xu, I leave finger wiggles. To Ben SanNicolas, I leave two dollars. Not finger wiggles. To Anatol Liu, I leave the Go Club. To Rico Lizbinski, I leave the “jaunt.” To MVC, I leave a legacy of honor. Just kidding. I am out of words now. Peace out.

Alicia Loh: To Elizabeth and Amy, I leave NHS and stacks of paper-ware. To Danny, I leave the pit orchestra and an imaginary rose to keep passing on. To Kimberly and Meghan, I leave my phone number. I should have never given it to you in the first place!

Devin Lee: To Mai, I leave you my ability

The Tide

CENTER SPREAD

to slack off and get As. To Lien, I leave you my sexy Vietnamese accent. To little Devin, I leave you my freshman bullying skills. To the RM tennis team next year, good luck…

Amy Liang: To Bintu, I leave the promise of taking you to lunch if I ever have space in my schedule. To Leilani, I leave daily rant sessions. To all the Pommies, I leave you winter break “sleepovers”, funny middance pose/facial photos (Christina that was for you), and my love. <3 Anna Ma: To the girls of RM, I leave you behind makeup remover wipes so you can eradicate those ratchet lipstick marks in the mirrors of the girls’ bathrooms.

Jonathan Marx: To JHUANGGG, the mound is yours. Take control and trust your stuff (and keep Hirsch off of it as much as possible for the love of God.) To Roy and Gabe, I expect a Top 25 finish at Nationals. To Stephen/Leilani/Brian, sorry that none of the RM athletes are as talented or as sexy as Mason Plumlee. And to my man Ryan Lane - keep rocking the goggles, bro.

Raghav Mehra: To Andrew Zhang, I leave knowing you’ll be the face of next year’s senior class. Hate it or love it. To Emilie Montgomery, I leave you this, your most memorable moment at RM. Forgive me? To Sidd Nayak, stick to being a pencil guy. To everyone else, I leave nothing.

Corinna Miller: I leave the students of RM with one message: get Mr. Kuney.

He knows who Homestarrunner is. It’s fantastic. Also to the freshman in my Tech class, you’re welcome for teaching you how to play poker. Your secret love of Nickelback is safe with me ;) Taiyuan Pai: Macedonia to the strongest.

Rachel Patterson: To Peter Szwerc, the only underclassman I know, I leave all of the IB work you ever want to copy because God knows Matt isn’t going to help a brother out.

Sanchari Rahman: To Galen Bryant, I leave you our lunch spot and the hobo hut.

Thanks for being my best friend this past year! I hope you have an amazing senior year. Love you!

Mateus Ribeiro: Brazilians speak PORTUGUESE, Brazilians do not speak Spanish or Brazilian. ;D Simona Santi: To the track team, have fun (but not too much without me). When the wind blows don’t be surprised if you hear my burps roaring. And girls, keep on singing and yoga-ing, for the boys’ sake.

To WC- keep the hallway swimming alive.

I’ll be back for competitions and chocolate milk.

Neha Sardana: To all first years, Errin is right. I killed the basilisk. You’re welcome.

Errin Saunders: The entrance to RM’s Chamber of Secrets is the broken toilet in the girls’ bathroom on Main Street.

Emily Schaefer: To next year’s Drama Board, good luck, and I hope the rhymes come easy. To Lawrence, Ryan, and Paul, I leave you guys a lot of shamrocks. To

SENIOR WILLS

Hannah, I leave you many Chinese food/ Potbelly dashes and makeup stealings— make me proud. I love you to the moon and back.

Tommy Scott: To RM boys Varsity Soccer, please respect the girls Field Hockey team. Field Hockey is an exciting and amazing sport filled with hard work and dedication.

Tanya Shi: To Meghan and Kimberly, I leave fond memories of oven mitt dresses and Belgian chocolate. To Sarah, Vivien, and Robin, I leave long Wednesday nights and the challenging task of tuning the woodwind section. To Kevin, I leave bus ride Family Feud sessions. To Ryan and Danny, I leave a cape, a whistle, and ultimate power over the marching band.

Don’t march anyone onto 355!

Allyson Sun: To Patti, I leave you my infinite wisdom of all of Dylan’s pet peeves. Use it wisely.

Robby Siu: To my underclassmen peeps, good luck and have fun with the rest of high school. And remember, work builds character.

Sarah Snider: Get into college and graduate. A+ advice by Sarah Snider.

Justin Teng: Dear underlings, use your brain. The cake is telling the truth today.

Learn to read. Don’t be stupid. Bye~ Faith Trumpeta: I want every single person to take advantage of every opportunity to meet new people. Don’t be scared, make the first move-- it’s an adventure. You never know when that new kid could become your best friend.

Camila Villasante: To the XC girls, the captains leave you all with the knowledge of Narnia, the skate park, and MEAN GIRLS. Four for you. Beware homeless men. To Elka and Grace, I leave you both with the carwash posters that are still in my car.

Paige Washington: To Hannah Ferster and Jemies Saratis, I leave you the task of getting everyone from singing Lonely Island to sing the song you should be singing. Make mama proud! To my dear Olga, I leave all the Tomato Basil cloth in the world. Oh, and drama, keep it classy.

Megan Yan: To the Mock Trial team, I leave the Suit & Tie.mp3, the mandatory three crying sessions, and sweet, sweet vengeance. To MHS, I leave colorful emails.

To JSA, I leave a speaker list. To everyone, I leave promises of wretchedness followed by glory, which will somehow all be worth it.

David Zhang: To Nathan Poland, I leave late night craziness outside the courtrooms after mock trial. To Rachit Agarwal, I leave the office of SGA treasurer—it’s just going to be slightly less ratchet next year. To Raaga, Trisha, Tiffany, and Alina, thanks for putting up with all the random stuff I ever did on the bus. Chris, Yu, Kevin, and Kevin: carry math team. To Jinsol, Volleyball Venegas, and Fiona, never forget el tigre chino. And to all those who ever knew me, and those who didn’t: ZHANGBANGER FOREVER.

May 2013

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David Chen: As I go off to college, I want to say something super significant: When Mr. Quinn (THE MAN) started talking emotions; I thought anything was possible. --Then I tried to get some sleep, but realized IB was a big obstacle. --But man, IB English for four years, I reaped so many benefits, --Now I’m so elitist with my literature; so Pride and Prejudice.

Quick fact about IB HL History; it gave me, literally, a Longer Fuse. --Now a days, I swear I can go without sleep and take more abuse.

Shout out to two years of Physics! If you Goetz the most over qualified teacher in the school –You’ll be happy to know that he’s using those Ivy League degrees to the highest - work divided by charge (potential) – writing name puns on your tests. That’s right. Name puns. My favorite – “David Dolchen and Gabbana.” He knows I got class, again, great use of those Ivy degrees.

To my beloved Tide EICs, just remember little cherubs --Do work and have fun – don’t be a dictator because you know what they say about dictators. Well they say dictator, but minus the tator. Yeah. Love you ladies <3 Sofia Hu: To Sarah, Isabella, Julia, and Emily, I leave you a newspaper in its chaotic entirety and all the love you will need. Make me proud. To Will and Roy, I leave a lone scarf in the corner of Mr. Kuney’s room that needs to be sold. To Ninad, I leave the name “Hoefia,” because I am not taking that with me. To my other little IB siblings, I leave lunch dates that I should have taken you out to- my regrets.

To Kevin, Charlie, and Chris, I leave many awkward hallway promposals. Hit me up if you ever need a date. To Mrs. Shay, a better way to pronounce Lafe. To Mrs. MacFarlane and Mr. Kuney, an infinite number of thanks for the late afternoons.

To super-seniors Deborah and Marni, don’t you dare do anything without me.

Marni Morse: To Kate, I leave hopes of strapping young men to carry all of the furniture! To Running, I leave Chinese food parties and a much easier rule 1 now that I’ll be gone. To the new drama board, I leave an organized inbox and published points list! To Amy and Elizabeth, I leave a new and improved NHS credit system.

To Julia, Isabella, Sarah, and Emily, I leave cookie recipes, long afternoons at layout, and the key code to my garage in case you ever need to steal a table for bake sales! To Sarah, I leave peaceful afternoons sitting in the hall. To Charlie, I leave one more year of counting homecoming ballots. (My advice: host a pizza party, TV marathon and get it done in one sitting!) To Sasha, I leave innumerable Power Points so you may actually spend your Sunday nights finishing homework. To Alice and Ross, I leave a much better Spanish tutor! And to Richard Montgomery, I leave a bunch of hungry students!

Megan White: To Noah I leave you Big Blue and all of its kinks. To the new special functions coordinators, start planning homecoming NOW. And to the new (and amazing!) EICs, never underestimate the power of baked goods. Finally, to all of my soccer girls I hope you have a fun season with at least one practice where no one passes to Rowan :)

12

The Tide

LA MAREA

Mayo del 2013

Los destinos turísticos más populares del mundo hispano algunos pueblos indígenas que viven de formas muy diferentes a las del mundo occidental. Más aún, en las selvas tropicales se encuentran en una gran variedad de paisajes: algunos se sitúan las montañas, otros abrazan los ríos gigantes, mientras todavía se encuentran hermosas playas y arrecifes de coral.

por Jessica Martinez América del Sur está llena de destinos increíbles y es difícil decidir dónde será mejor pasar unas vacaciones. ¿Te concentrarás en los lugares iconicos como Machu Picchu, el Cristo Redentor, o el Amazona. ¿Preferirás actividades emocionantes como sandboard en Perú, o el excursionismo glaciar en la Patagonia? ¿Por qué no disfrutar de los aspectos culturales como visitar los incas, o los tribus amazónicas, o bailar el tango en Argentina? Quizás mejor sea a una mezcla de todo Mi consejo es que sólo debes elegir un punto de partida, gozar de las experiencias como vengan.

Pero sé que el tiempo de todos es limitado (¡salvo para unos pocos afortunados!) Así que aquí están los lugares que incluyo en mi ‘5 lugares que no te puedes perder” si vas a América del Sur:

Salto Ángel, Venezuela

Ver esta corriente gigante de agua que cae es una experiencia inolvidable que no puede ser igualada. El Salto Ángel es la cascada más alta del mundo, que es 979 m (3212 pies). Se encuentra ubicado en el Parque Nacional Canaima, Venezuela.

Machu Picchu, Perú

Bueno, el próximo lugar probablemente no es una verdadera sorpresa para nadie, pero Machu Picchu realmente cumple todas las expectativas.

No importa si decides caminar por 3 días para llegar arriba o si en vez decides hacer la ruta tranquilamente por tren, la sensación que tendrás al ver la antigua civilización de los incas será indescriptible.

Amazonia, Brasil

La Amazonia es la selva tropical más grande del mundo, y también tiene las más diversas áreas biológicas del mundo.

Abarca 1.7 mil millones de hectáreas. La visita a un bosque tropical va ser una experiencia memorable. Las selvas tropicales son la casa cerca de la mitad de plantas del mundo y especies animales y son el hogar de

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

De todas las ciudades de América del Sur, fue Rio la más impresionante para mí. Tiene de todo, desde gentes diversas hasta los iconos reconocidos en todo el mundo. Si eres amante

J GRÁFICO POR SAVANNAH DU

Hay muchas atracciones turísticas en el mundo hispano, como Machu Picchu en Perú y Rio de Janeiro. de la playa puedes pasar el día mostrando tu bronceado en las playas de Ipanema y Copacabana.

Si te gustan más las actividades luego puedes subir las montañas, corriendo una rampa y volar en parapente sobre la ciudad. Para aquellos que necesitan material para sacar fotos es suficiente

visitar la estatua de Cristo Redentor o Pan de Azúcar para obtener las vistas emblemáticas de la ciudad.

Las cataratas de Iguazú fronteras de Paraguay, Brasil y Argentina

Gigantes osos hormigueros, monos aulladores, jaguares en peligro de extinción y las nubes de mariposas son unos de los atracciones de este parque. Puedes ver una de las más impresionantes caídas de agua del mundo, las Cataratas del Iguazú en que hay más de 270 cascadas.

El nuevo presidente de Venezuela por Cecilia Velarde

GRÁFICO POR SAVANNAH DU

Un postre delicioso y para disfrutar con toda la familia!

Tres Leches: el postre más delicioso para ti por Max Dominguez

¿Tienes a una fiesta y no sabes que cocinar? ¿Tal vez quieres cocinar algo simple, fácil, rápido, y delicioso para la cena? ¿O tal vez no tienes muchos ingredientes?

Sabemos que una ensalada de pasta siempre es la respuesta pero, ¿porque no agregamos un poco de atún para darle mas sabor? Aquí tienes una receta muy fácil de seguir que sirve a seis personas. ¡Disfruta!

Ingredientes: 1.2 Tazas de harina de trigo leudante 2.1 cuchara de vainilla  3.½ cuchara de polvo para hornear  4. 5 huevos 5.1 taza de leche liquida

Instrucciones: 1. Bate la clara de huevo (dejando la yema fuera) hasta que llegues al punto de turrón 2. Después pon la azúcar, vainilla, yemas de huevo (una a una), leche, polvo para hornear y la harina. Hornea a 350* por 30 minutos.

3. Prepara la crema mezclando 1 lata de leche evaporada, 1 lata de leche condensada, 1 lata de crema de leche Nestlé y 1 taza de leche liquida. Ponla en la refrijeradora.

4. Prepara el merengue mexclando 2 claras de huevo y 5 cucharadas de azúcar. Bate todo junto hasta que obtengas el merengue deseado 5. Sácalo del horno y roséalo con la leche ya preparada.

6. Después decóralo con el merengue a tu gusto 7. Disfruté!

El martes 5 de marzo del 2013 se anunció el fallecimiento del presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez. Un mes después de su muerte, el 14 de abril de 2013, se llevaron a cabo las elecciones presidenciales con los dos partidos políticos existentes: el Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) representado por Nicolás Maduro, y la Mesa de Unidad Democrática (MUD) encabezada por H. Capriles.

Después de que se contaron todos los votos se anunció que el candidato socialista, Nicolás Maduro, obtuvo el triunfo en los sufragios presidenciales con 7.505.338 votos, equivalente al 50,66% del total.

El cuerpo estudiantil dio sus opiniones acerca del nuevo presidente y sobre cómo va a llevar a cabo su mandato. Un estudiante, Laura Acosta, dijo lo

siguiente al respecto: “¡El nuevo presidente de Venezuela está loco! No tiene el nivel intelectual suficiente como para manejar un país y menos un país que está necesitando tan urgentemente un buen líder. Se enfoca solo en seguir los pasos de Chávez en

GRÁFICO POR SAVANNAH DU

Hay muchas opiniones sobre el nuevo presidente

vez de crear nuevos métodos para formar un mejor país.”

Otra estudiante, Dania Valencia, también coincidió diciendo: “Creo que él es un dictador y que su mandato va a tener consecuencias negativas”. Ambas estudiantes no están de acuerdo con la elección del nuevo presidente y creen que Venezuela no se encuentra en buenas manos.

Por otro lado, algunos estudiantes tienen una idea diferente sobre porque Nicolás Maduro fue elegido; la estudiante, Lisseth Molina, expresó lo siguiente: “Yo creo que eligieron a Maduro porque el país tenía miedo del cambio, [la gente temía] tener nuevas reglas porque ellos estaban acostumbrados a [las reglas de] Hugo Chávez y ahora con Maduro las cosas no van a cambiar, va a hacer lo mismo que con Chávez”. Ella cree que la gente no estaba lista para un cambio radical de gobierno y debido a esto Maduro ganó la elección.

Una nota de los editores: Agradecemos la oportunidad de trabajar como los

editores de “La Marea” este año. ¡Buena suerte a Fatima del Barco, la nueva editora!

-Alexander Bazán y Camila Villasante

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The Tide

May 2013

13

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A2B “not just a driving school, but a DRIVE experience”

14

The Tide

ARTS

May 2013

Summer cinema is back again

by Yueyang Ying Celebrate the start of summer with a love story lost in time, a superhero movie, or a prequel of a beloved children’s movie. As pool time, beach vacations, and seasonal barbecues approach, the invasion of summer blockbusters also commences. As the season approaches, the movie theater has become an ideal destination to escape the heat.

Starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3” tells the formidable story of a man who fights for survival. The Mandarin, a daring and limitless enemy, destroys Tony Stark’s world and puts Stark’s perseverance to the test.

The movie is praised for its action-packed plot and stunning special effects. The twists and turns in the storyline are guaranteed to cause a rush of adrenaline. In addition, its May 3rd release date makes it a perfect option to consider after AP exams are over.

Originally scheduled to release in the winter of last year, “The Great Gatsby” has kept people waiting in anticipation until it finally premiered on May 10.

The movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s popular book, is set in the 1920’s, during the socially rebellious Golden Age. The plot is wrapped around Gatsby, a man trapped in an idyllic, time-defying daydream, as he pursues his past love, Daisy.

With a star cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire, and the directing of Baz Luhrmann,

the movie is sure to be breath-taking.

Premiering on June 14 is the action-packed superman movie: “Man of Steel”. Zack Snyder, director of “300” and Christopher Nolan, renowned for his “Dark Knight” trilogy, are collaborating to reinvent the iconic movie for the superhero-craving public. Abandon the kryptonite; Clark Kent is now an extraterrestrial who discovers his heritage when members of his race invade Earth.

Only a week later, on June 21, “Monster’s University” marches into the theaters as the anticipated prequel to the popular Disney film, “Monster’s Inc.” Director Dan Scanlon does well to attract Monster’s Inc. fans to witness the budding of Mike and Sulley’s friendship. The movie follows the history of Mike and Sulley’s relationship as they overcome social tensions to become best friends, while also exploring the skill of scaring, taught at the one and only Monster’s University.

Finally, as summer comes to an end, teen girls will look forward to ease their way back into the school year with a 3D documentary of the internationally acclaimed boy band, One Direction. The film, “One Direction: This Is Us”, is directed

by Morgan Spurlock, the man who created the popular documentary “Super Size Me”. Available in theaters August 30, the documentary allows viewers to enter the daily lives of Louis, Niall, Liam, Harry, and Zayn, and brings a concert-like atmosphere to your local theater, a perfect option for those who missed the opportunity to get tickets to the actual concerts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISNEY

The highly anticipated sequel might amaze audiences with its high-tech animations.

PHOTO BY BRIAN PARRIS

Parris has brought a new groove to our hallways by playing music from his backpack.

Boombox Brian brings the beat

by Andrew Del Vecchio As another school year comes to an end, many students find themselves tired of the same scene of standard classrooms and crowded hallways. One student, however, has brought new life to the hallways by putting some rhyme and rhythm into everyone’s stride.

Meet Brian Parris. This 16 year-old junior has become a trending celebrity within the Richard Montgomery halls, and has become notorious for playing music from speakers in his backpack. While it is a simple idea, its originality and creativity has put smiles on the faces of bystanders, and his enthusiasm continues to amaze.

The origin of this innovation comes from his days as a freshman at Walter Johnson High School. When out with his friends, Parris wanted to play music, so the idea of “portable speakers” was created. Parris said, “When I got my first pair [of speakers], they were really loud for something so small.”

The idea grew, and Parris has been working on making improvements to the prototype. “This wasn’t my first one. I’ve gone through quite a few different types trying different sounds and experimenting with different technology all while finding new music along the way,” he told us. He continued by saying “the speakers I currently use are marked kind of high, and most people are not willing to invest, but I think it’s worth it and I’ll probably keep

this one as long as possible.”

Since then, the novelty of the idea has been brought to Richard Montgomery, and the one-minute warning music is no longer the only music students can hear in the halls. Parris has gained enormous popularity amongst students and teachers alike, and both the security staff and the building services have no objection to the moving music. When asked how the students responded, Parris said he was amazed by the support and interest conveyed by new friends he previously considered as strangers. He has found himself assisting in a promposal, and earned nicknames such as “Boombox Brian” or “Triple B”.

Parris, however, is more than just a student who had a great idea. His inspiration stems from his love for music and the arts.

Parris says that he loves all types of music, from alternative to electronic to contemporary. “The list goes on, and it transcends boundaries. That’s what’s so amazing: that I can’t help just listening to a particular genre,” Parris stated, explaining for the variety of music that can be heard from his backpack.

Oftentimes, when innovation is brought somewhere, it is destined that others will follow in the trend, and some speculate that Parris’ creation will bring others who bring more music to the halls. Parris is open to the idea, and said, “I haven’t met anyone like that, but how cool would it be if I started a trend.” His creativity has paved the way for others who may one day follow in his path, and fill the halls with the sounds of music blasting from backpacks.

Local art contest puts focus on more environmental awareness

by Jessica Kang To some, an empty soda can lying on Main Street after lunch may seem like just another piece of garbage, but to those participating in Richard Montgomery’s environmental art contest, it is also a valuable piece of art material.

Maybe it can be used to recreate the shiny glint of a fish’s scale, or be cut into petals to adorn a bouquet.

Whatever the reason, for the next couple of weeks, art students will be using these pieces of recycled material to create beautiful and slightly unconventional sculptures that address an important environmental issue: from foie gras (a food created from force feeding animals), to endangered species, to world peace.

Helping to promote this project is Baltimore artist Randall Gornowich, whose work ranges from photography to creating public installments made out of recycled materials.

On May 15, the student-made sculptures were on display on Main Street, and Mr. Gornowich came in to judge the artwork and present awards to the artists that come in first, second, and third place.

Sophomores Alice Shi and William Lu won first place with ‘Chaos Elephant;’ sophomore Christine Robbie won second place with ‘Fish are What They Eat;’ junior Joseph Bozzonetti won ‘Skull.’ The winners were announced by Mr. Gornowich himself on Friday, May 17 in the auditorium.

Also during this time, members of SERT (School Energy and Recycling Team) came in to announce Richard Montgomery as a Green School for its efforts to be an environmentally conscious school.

Not only are students competing to win ribbons and cash prizes, but many students regard the project as a good opportunity for students to express what they want to change about the world through a different artistic medium.

Many find that the non-restrictive nature of the project has allowed them to discover new aspects about themselves.

“Making recycled art has pushed me to really tap into my creative nature,” insisted sophomore Hoang Nguyen as he displays his sculpture, a wall oozing goo into a puddle, which he and his classmate John Jeang are working on.

“I have surprised even myself by the creativity that I have achieved,” reflected Nguyen. The pair have decided to use recycled materials to comment on pollution in their community.

IB Art teacher Katherine Stanton commends the assignment and hopes it will make an impact for the better on the way we treat our surroundings.

“It’s really important that we, in general, are less wasteful,” she explained. “It is important that people are conscious of the little improvements that they can make to help their environment,” Ms. Stanton said as she displayed the excess pieces of plastic, half-empty water bottles crowding the counter in her room.

“It would make a really big difference if students could just bring in a Thermos rather than a water bottle every day.”

PHOTO BY JESSICA KANG

Projects such as this aluminum foil bear lined Main Street for the art contest.

ARTS

The Tide

May 2013

15

:

by Jesse Daines Senior Alexander Espaillat’s impressive artwork has grabbed the attention of many.

We sat down with him to learn more about himself and his works.

Q: What inspired you to become an artist?

A: The idea that you can create anything from your mind on paper or canvas. Also, the fact that I really used to like comics.

Q: What do you love about art?

A: I love that you can give someone a visual piece of yourself and who you are, including your likes and beliefs.

Q: What is your favorite medium to work in and why?

A: I like working in pencils, ink, or coloring pencils because it is the easiest medium to manage, whereas paint and charcoal gets messy.

Q: What was your most difficult piece to accomplish?

A: My most difficult piece was a 12” by 20” piece I did for AP Art, where I made a surrealist landscape and it took forever since there was so much detail.

Q: What makes you different as an artist?

A: I like to convey messages in my work. It could be related to current events, politics, or even just my mood. My art is realistic, and I like to have a lot of dark, shaded areas in my work.

Q: What is your inspiration for your art?

A: My inspiration is essentially anything that seems interesting to me at the time when I am drawing. Could be anything from global warming to vampires!

Q: Do you see a future as an artist?

A: I could be an artist, but there are so many forms of art so it is difficult to see what suits me best.

There is performing arts, fine arts, architecture, and the list goes on. But I will become an artist in some way in the future.

ARTWORK BY ALEXANDER ESPAILLAIT

Senior Alexander Espaillat creates artwork that oftentimes features the supernatural and surreal.

Q: How has your skills as an artist helped you?

A: Doing art is like an exercise for your mind. It makes you focus on something

like drawing non-stop.. It is kind of like homework, except less breaks, so I think it has given me a lot of focus, as well as developing my creativity!

Q: What would be your advice for fu-

ture upcoming artists?

A: If you believe you can do something in art, then it does not matter what it is; just become obsessed with it by practicing and you will get better and better.

Also, drawing books help a lot!

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The Tide

FEATURES

FEATURES

Greetings Richard Montgomery, Do you remember the Canned Food Drive? Richard Montgomery High School ranked first in Montgomery County and second in the State of Maryland. Mrs. Kellinger, Dr. McLeod, and Junior Community Service Coordinator Fiyin Awe attended a lunch and received the award on behalf of our school. Let’s aim for #1 in the State next year: GO ROCKETS! Our final total for Pennies for Patients is just over $5,100. Thank you to everyone who came out to Mr. RM, donated their spare change to the Mr. Coingeniality boxes, and helped stick Mr. Freda to a pole during “Stuck 4 a Buck”!

Election results are in! Next year’s officers include: Ye-Ji Lee (Class of ’14) as President, Nathan Poland (Class of ’15) as VicePresident, Rachit Agarwal (Class of ’16) as Treasurer, and Matthew Daniels (Class of ’14) as Secretary. Congratulations to all candidates!

Coming up are the results of the SGA Executive Board interviews!

The 2nd Annual Frisbee Tournament was held on Thursday, May 16th on the RM Turf Field. Each team had 6 players and teams all over the county showed up. We hope to continue this event as it has shown tremendous participation from all over the county!

Lastly, next year’s Homecoming date has been set! Next year’s Homecoming will be Saturday, October 19th, which means the Fall Spirit Week will be from Monday, October 14th to Friday, October 18th. The Pep Rally and Homecoming Football Game will be on Friday, October 18th! Mark your calendars!

Sincerely, Alexander Bazan, SGA President 2012-2013

May 2013

Butterfly garden spreads its wings this spring

by Sedef Berk

Butterfly Garden founder Megha Kori and Environmental Club president Jessica Li discuss the inspiration behind and plans for the school’s very own butterfly garden.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the Butterfly Garden?

Kori: I got the idea for the butterfly garden after completing an Energy Conservation project for RM's Environmental Club. As a school, there's so much we could be doing in terms of environmental preservation, and the butterfly garden is my way of contributing.

Q: How is the project being funded?

Kori: I applied and received the Piedmont Grant, which is covering the full cost.

Li: Sugarloaf Association is a group of environmentalists in Clarksburg and they fund programs through the Piedmont Grant where they fund secondary schools like Blair and RM. They like projects in schools that have a sense of agriculture that prevent further pollution and destruction of the environment. They funded two

projects this year, the other being the Art Exhibit in June.

Q: What is the end goal for the garden?

Kori: The end goal of all this is to create a lasting manifestation of RM's dedication to environmental causes and student creativity.

Li: We are estimating the end in about eight weeks with gardening and clean up.

Q: Who is active in the project?

Koi: I'm working in conjunction with RM's Science National Honor Society chapter to organize volunteers. We accept anyone who wants to help out.

Li: The Robotics Team is also involved. We are going to have a water drainage system in the garden that was designed and constructed by the team. Building Services are going to maintain the garden in the summer.

Q: How can non SNHS members help out with the project?

Kori: Since this garden is going to be 100% organic and student-produced, we're taking donations from students for garden accessories. For example, we're currently working on creating a wind chime from salvaged metal.

Hey, Rockets!

My name is Ye-Ji, and I have been given the amazing honor of being your next student body president. I would like to thank everyone who entrusted their next year of RM to my leadership, and I promise to exceed each and every expectation. Even if your vote was not for me, I can guarantee that this upcoming year will be one of your best years here at RM. I realize that there are quite a few issues that you may have with our school, and I am willing to donate my time and energy to make our school the very best. I am open to all your comments, advice, and complaints, and I cannot wait to serve all of you for one last great year at Richard Montgomery.

Sincerely, Ye-Ji Lee, SGA President 2013-2014

PHOTOS BY KIA RAMARUI

Left: Junior Jim Qin mows the grass in preparation for the butterfly garden.

Right: Junior Megha Kori handles a block of soil that will be used in the garden.

FEATURES

The Tide

May 2013

Where are our seniors going next year?

Alabama, University of Sonny Kirksey Grace Vistica

Georgia, University of Renee Habuda

Gettysburg College Alex Richmond

American University Rasheeda Berry Will McNamara Samantha Pearson

Harford Community College Megan Barich

Amsterdam University College Arent Hiltermann

Illinois- Urbana-Champaign,University of Andrew Lai

Beloit College Caroline Tyson

Ithaca College Paige Washington

Berklee College of Music Caroline Glattly

James Madison University Austin Cano Tori Sault

Boston University Hope Kashatus Brandeis University Rachel Shaw California-Berkeley, University of Danny Cheng California-Los Angeles, University of Caroline Leahy California-Santa Barbara, University of Galen Emanuel California Polytechnic State University Dylan Corr Carnegie Mellon University Rebecca Stokes Shannon Yang Catholic University of America Lissette Escobar Anthony Phan Catherine Phan Charleston, College of Jessica Avery Anna Britton Chicago, University of Taiyuan Pai Katie Zimmerman Clemson University Abby Titmas Colorado-Boulder, University of Jonah Dwares Colorado State University Harrison Meyers Connecticut, University of Matthew Mittl Cornell University Andrew Geddings Ellen Hong Ariel Hsu Sofia Hu Evelyn Quispe Addie Nolan Delaware, University of Alec Manougian Olivia Smith Drexel University Sydney Axelrod Matt Guevara Duke University Lara Haft Fairfield University Alexandra Cowan Fashion Institute of Technology Mariam Kayani Florida State University Megan White George Mason University Kassidy Snelson Georgetown University Sarah Guan

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joie Chang Fiona Lam David Zhang McGill University Philip Hoddinott Anna Ma Michigan, University of Graham Kindermann Charlotte LaVigna Natalie Salive Middlebury College Melanie English

Johns Hopkins University Preston Ge Channing Kimble-Brown Joshua McCurry Camila Villasante

Montgomery College Samantha Barr Victoria Cobb Devin Lee Sue Lee Joshua Pearson Jonathan Song

Kenyon College Tommy Staines

Morehouse College Michael Scott

Manhattan School of Music Nicole Sergeyko

Mount Holyoke College Emma Tolerton

Maryland-Baltimore County, University of Jessica Deng Rafaelle Estrera Jamie Gallagher Meem Haque Asma Husna Rushmie Kulkarni Kia Ramarui Allyson Sun Elizabeth Tan David Udwin Sabine Varghese

Mount St. Mary's College University Alvin Ninel

Maryland-College Park, University of Amy Bao Vivian Bui Jennifer Cao Steve Chen Victoria Chen Dillon Dahan Aldwin Delcour Hari Devaraj Matthew Din Tim Do Juddy Fan Ana-Alicia Feng Austin Font Franco Frega Dylan Gao David Hairumian Tandis Hamidzadeh Jeffrey He Jordan Horwat Jason Hsiao Alex Huang Jay Huang Terri Kent Samantha Koy Neha Kundagrami Ashlyn Lee Joy Lee Angela Lei Ellen Levine Amy Liang Andrew Liu Alicia Loh Deirdre McGovern Raghav Mehra Melissa Morella Aayush Pathak Rachel Patterson Taina Peters Matthew Reilly Errin Saunders Emily Schaefer Michal Shafrir Jimmy Shue Robby Siu Clayton Smith Matt Szwerc Justin Teng Matthew Thomas Marie-Claire Traore Aly Trissler John Verchot Jennifer Wang Josh Weaver Beijie Zhang Victoria Zhao

Muhlenberg College Maddy Weko New York University David Chen Maggie Drummond Rio Hodges Sebastian Lopez Calvo Jake Parker Neha Sardana David Sobalvarro Zack Young North Carolina State University Patrick Hartnett Gabrielle Robbins Oberlin Conservatory Sarah Snider Ohio University Hannah Feldmann Ohio State University Marilyn Rodriguez Pennsylvania, University of Deborah Gross Megan Yan Penn State - Mont Alto Matthew Brady Penn State - University Park Karina Alvarado Kala Benjamin Pepperdine University Simona Santi Pittsburgh, University of Daniel Bakhadj Jacob Feid Jia Gao Luke Leibolt Kun Yang Pratt Institute Hannah Salyer Princeton University Marni Morse Ankit Sarkar

Sarah Lawrence College Lexie Werner

Savannah College of Art and Design Robbie Barletta Scripps College Isabel Blooston Rachel Odessey Shenandoah University Tommy Scott South Carolina, University of Sydney Wiltshire South Florida, University of Caitlyn Smith Southern California, University of Sam Deutsch Emily Jiang Spelman College Kyana Waters St. Andrews, University of (Scotland) Bettie Payne St. Mary's College of Maryland Colin Breen Joseph Chazin Arvind Srinivasan Indy Weinstein Stanford University Matt Benjamin Joseph Wu Stetson University Gabriela Rosales Tufts University Dalia Berkowitz Alex Rappaport Tulane University Rebecca Kaufman Michele Naideck Towson University Abiy Ababu Brendel Jeannette Sasha Lariiciuc Sanchari Rahman Theresa Marie Schempp Gloria Sykes Liam Sweeney Ursinus College Levon Favin Villanova University Marta Biase Vermont, University of Janie Frangione Virginia, University of Allison Febrey Kiera Givens Virginia Polytechnic Institute Mai Suwan Washington College Margie Delao Washington, University of Brian Goldgeier Washington University in St. Louis Claudia Hendrick Andie Berry Wellesley College Astrid Mobley

Quinnipiac University Noreeza Khan

Williams College Cameron Jenkins

Roanoke College Madison Kunstman

William and Mary, College of Jerusalem Demsas

Salisbury University Monica Pinzon

Yale University Jasmine Benjamin Jonathan Marx Tanya Shi Kathleen Yu

San Diego State University JP Whaley

Good luck! We will miss you!

17

This list was complied on the Facebook group titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;RMHS SENIORS 2013: Where are you going next year?â&#x20AC;?

18

The Tide

SPORTS

May 2013

Baseball plays tough season, looks forward to next year

by Nancy Jin As the baseball team prepared for playoffs, they reflected on a 7-10 season that included an eight game losing streak and a five game winning streak to finish off regular play. While this spring has not been as strong as others, the team has remained optimistic, continuously trying to be better than the day before.

One of the major pitfalls this year was the team’s failure to be aggressive and take opportunities to hit the ball. Junior Julian Figueroa said, “For a majority of the season, we looked at way too many pitches instead of just swinging. That was our major downfall in many games: we’d be neck and neck with the other team, and lose just because we couldn’t bring in any runs.”

Despite the lack of runs, the team managed a fair season, winning seven out of their seventeen games, including a 30-0 win at John F. Kennedy High School.

Even though the team had a losing season, the players looked forward to doing their best in

PHOTO BY LEILANI STACY

The team gathers around senior Austin Cano before the next inning during a game against Northwood. playoffs. Figueroa commented, “Despite our losses, I can’t remember a practice we ever went to feeling down as a team or being mad at ourselves for the day before. I think staying positive is an important aspect of success, so we should stay that way.”

An important aspect of being a

good team player is being open to try whatever the coaches advise.

Describing practice and games, junior Davey Segal said he, “came in with a positive attitude and [was] ready to help the team in any way possible!”

Their hard work finally paid off when senior pitcher Jonathan

Marx remarked that his “proudest accomplishment was finally breaking through and beating a good Paint Branch team after losing to a lot of top teams in heartbreaking fashion.”

This year the team was led by ten seniors, including pitcher Marx, standout centerfielder Tyler

Coleman, and catcher Jimmy Wright. Next year, the team will have to make adjustments to replace several starting positions.

In regard to next spring, junior Jonathan Huang advised, “Make sure you’re playing what you love.

If you don’t care, don’t play.” Even though RM’s baseball season is in the spring, most of the boys play baseball year round, showing their dedication to the sport. The team is able to bond over the same kind of passion, and in turn is able to communicate better and work together as a team.

With regards to the upcoming playoff game, Figueroa said, “I’m not sure who we are playing or where yet, but I do know that there is no team in the county we couldn’t beat as long as we’re on our game. Unfortunately, we really haven’t been most of the season, but as I said, we’ve definitely shown improvement.

All in all, I think anything could happen.”

“Anything,” unfortunately turned out to be a hard-fought loss to Magruder 8-5 in their first playoff game, but the boys look forward to next year for another chance at a championship.

Girls lacrosse adjusted to new practice methods

by Leilani Stacy

PHOTO BY RACHIT AGARWAL

Senior Alex Bazan (right) sets the ball for senior hitter Danny Cheng (left) to narrowly defeat Sherwood.

Boys and co-ed volleyball proudly end season after playoff, county champ losses VOLLEYBALL, cont. from page 1 seniors, including captains Alex Bazan, Jason Hsiao, Brian Huang, and Danny Cheng, who, according to Chao, “taught us everything and helped us improve.”

Losing them next year will be “detrimental to the chemistry of the team since they were the ones who led us through every game,” explained Chao. Coach BarberStrunk said, “Alex, our senior setter, is like the quarterback of the volleyball team. It will be hard to fill his leadership role… and we will definitely need someone to come in and try to replace that.”

Next season, the juniors will have to step up to fill in the starting lineup, but Coach BarberStrunk remained confident that, “we have a great lineup for next year as well so we will just need to do some fine-tuning and fill in some key positions.”

Wootton, coach Gretchen BarberStrunk said “[the] boys played well and played hard and I could not be more proud of them and they definitely improved over the season.”

Through the thirteen regular games played, the boys only gave up seven out of a total 49 sets. Their final match in the regular season against Sherwood was close and almost eliminated RM from the playoffs. Chao described how, “in the end we managed to pull through and secure our place in the finals.” The boys proved their determination in the match against Sherwood as coach Barber-Strunk mentioned her team “was able to push through and become victorious in the end which was huge.”

The team looked up to five

On the co-ed side, the team finished the season with a record of 6-6. Despite their losses, the Rockets managed to win a set against Sherwood, one of the best teams in the county, and also defeat Blair and Rockville after five sets.

Similar to the boys team, co-ed was led by several seniors including Vivian Bui. Her younger sister, Alina, said “Vivian really kept the team together […] she didn’t let me get too down on myself on the court whenever I messed up.”

In their playoff game, the coed team suffered a loss to Churchill, but junior Alina Bui noted how they were proud that, “[the team] got to quarter finals.” Junior Edvin Hernandez reflected on the season, saying “unfortunately we fell short, but I loved every single moment in the season.”

After finishing the regular season regular season 4-8 and suffering a loss in their first round playoff game against Urbana High School, the girls lacrosse team remained proud of their accomplishments. As junior Emilie Montgomery reflected, “I’m happy with our progress because we competed and had close games with a lot of good teams.”

With a younger team composed of mainly juniors, a handful of sophomores, and only three seniors, the Rockets focused on developing teamwork and adapting to Coach Brett Ponchione’s new strategy. Practices were tough and junior Geena Lingberg admitted, “Ponch’s pre- season plyo[metrics] workout killed.”

However, the girls improved on team stamina as well as individual skills.

Juniors Nicole Burchett, Jackie Page and Sydney Koubek led the team in scoring this season, while senior Caroline Leahy anchored the defensive end of the field.

Sophomore Haley McClelland noted that all of these players, “always know how to make the team better and put us in the right mind set-- whether it be scoring some goals, transitioning or playing defense very well.”

Despite tearing her ACL in a scrimmage at the beginning of the season, senior captain Abby Titmas supported her team’s morale from the sidelines.

According to Montgomery, Titmas has been, “great as a motivator,” for the team.

Leahy backed the defense and McClelland noted, “She’s such a sweetheart off the field but on, she’s a crazy beast that knows

how to kill quickly.”

Both the senior night against Blake and Rockville’s senior night against RM were significant games for the Rockets. Against the Blake Bengals, Lingberg described how the ladies were winning, “6-3 at half against Blake, but the win slipped away.”

The Rockville senior night was a particularly heart-wrenching experience due to the recent tragic death of the Rams’ own Michelle Lynne Miller. However, the Rockets clenched a victory as coach Ponchione explained “[we] fell behind 5-1 in the first half and fought back for a 12-10 win in what was a very emotional game for both teams.”

One of the most intense match-ups came against Walter Johnson, in which the Rockets rallied in the second half to force the game into overtime. After an 18-4 loss to Wootton the week before, Montgomery described how they, “went out and competed with [Walter Johnson] and took the game into overtime which was really exciting and unexpected.” Throughout the season, the ladies continued to fight against elite competition in the county and Lingberg said, “most of them were surprised by the new RM girls lacrosse, which was a good indicator of improvement.”

Looking forward to next season, junior Elyse Wolin identified a major problem area in that, “typically we beat teams in the second half but that’s not enough to come back from that rough first 10 minutes.”

However, Montgomery indicated that since most of the team will be returning next year, “there aren’t just a few star players who carry the team, the talent is pretty equally spread,” which will allow for better team cohesion and depth next spring.

May 2013 19 SPORTS Track and Field teams display prowess in multiple events, brings home 4 gold medals at the county championships

The Tide

by Brian Harrington After winning the division title last year, the girls outdoor track team was able to prevail as champions again this year, winning the division with an undefeated record of 5-0. The boys team finished fourth in their division with a record of 2-3.

The girls’ division title came down to the final meet against Sherwood and Springbrook. Sherwood and RM were both undefeated going into the meet, making it a winner-take-all event.

Things started out well for the Rockets, as seniors Jasmine Benjamin and Marilyn Rodriguez swept first and second respectively in the 100 meter hurdles.

Throughout the meet, the two schools traded first place finishes, making the scores neck and neck.

Towards the second half of the meet, the Rockets got the break they needed.

Freshman Sophie ElMasry ran four miles competitively, earning second in both the mile and two mile, and first in the 800 meter race, with a personal record of 2:24. In addition to her second place finish in the 100 meter hurdles, Rodriguez also finished first in the 300

meter hurdles and the triple jump. Senior Dasia Adams placed second in the 400 meter dash and senior Ashley Christopher ran a 12.8 second 100 meter dash, while also getting first in the long jump.

After all the points were tallied up, the Rockets came out victorious. El-Masry reflected, “It was incredible to see the team get even closer because of this one meet.”

The team had, “a strong bond, and winning the division two years in a row brought us even closer together,” said senior Simona Santi.

The young boys team finished a tough season with a losing record, but individually continued to improve.

The strongest suit of the boys team was arguably its 4x800 relay team, comprised of juniors Stephen Alexander, Adam Jung, Julian Claytor and sophomore Emmanuel Porquin, which finished second at the Katie Jenkins Invitational meet. Porquin, the only underclassman on the team, said, “It’s important that I continue to work hard in order for them to win a 4x800 state championship by the time they graduate.”

Due to weather delays, the County A meet was stretched across five days but the Rockets were able to score

points in almost every event.

Christopher finished first and broke the school record in the long jump, while junior Ozioma Edokobi clinched first in the discus and second in the shot-put.

El-Masry finished fifth in the mile and fourth in the 800 meter race. Rodriguez placed fourth in the triple jump while Benjamin scored one point at eighth in the 100 meter hurdles. Combined, the girls team finished fifth at the meet, given the fact that the team did not enter in some events.

For the boys, senior Elhoussan Hakini stormed through the 300 hurdles with a victory in 40.01 seconds.

Senior Artavius Simpson placed seventh in the boys discus while junior Nick Costello finished ninth, after finishing second at the Katie Jenkins meet the weekend before.

At the 4A West Regional meet many of the girls qualified for the Maryland State meet.

Rodriguez jumped a 35 foot season best to automatically qualify for the triple jump while she also ran on the statequalifying 4x200 meter relay.

The relay included fellow seniors Adams, Taiwo, and Christopher. Edokobi won the discus event and thus qualified for state finals.

PHOTO BY KIANA STACY

Junior Kayla Sukri clears a height in the high jump at the Katie Jenkins Invitational on May 4th, before the team moved forward to the county championships.

SPORTS

20 The Tide

May 2013

Athlete of the Issue: Tyler Coleman you know there is a chance something big could happen,” said junior P.J. Glasser.

Tyler leads by example. Junior Davey Segal commented that Coleman, “always helps out his teammates,” whether that be by making a save during a game, or as Figueroa remembered, Coleman is the “goto guy for coach when demonstrating how to do something properly.”

Despite his athleticism, it is perhaps Coleman’s humility that makes him stand out more than his skills. While many athletic stars are normally loud and proud, senior Jonathan Marx noted that Coleman, “plays with a quiet passion that defines our team and exhorts everyone to follow in his stead.” Teammates agree that off the field, Tyler is what senior Dylan Corr summed up as a typical, “guy who is fun to hang out with and is always laughing and keeping things light.”

When he is not playing a sport, Coleman continues to stand as a role model as a student, friend, and as junior Jonathan Huang put it, “just a pretty great guy overall.” Coach Wheeler noted how coaches point him out to younger athletes as an example of, “how an athlete should act on the field, in the classroom.”

He may not be one for words, but his achievements speak for themselves. After throwing out four runners at home, two at second base and one at first base, being a leader on offense, obtaining a .482 batting average as well as two home runs, six triples, four doubles, 25 runs and a 24 RBI

by Leilani Stacy Voted Most Athletic for senior superlatives, MVP for the last three years, First Team All-County and First Team All-Division for the past two years, and selected as a player on the Jr. Team, senior Tyler Coleman is what Coach Robert George described as, “the best centerfielder I have ever coached.” In the fall, he was named Defensive MVP and Outstanding Defensive Back for the RM football team, as well as a Defensive Back to the All Area team for his junior and senior year. He led the Rockets in interceptions both his junior and senior year and was one of the top tacklers on the team.

When Coleman steps onto the field, his natural gift of talent allows him to change the momentum of any game, making him stand out on the team and in the county.

Junior Julian Figueroa remarked, “I’ve never played with, or even seen someone my age as athletically talented.”

According to football coach Matthew Wheeler, Coleman plays the safety position like he plays center field in baseball because, “Tyler believes any ball in the air, whether he is on offense or defense, is his ball and he will come down with it.” This has earned him the nickname “Ball Hawk.”

The team can rely on Coleman to make routine plays but also noteworthy ones.

“Every time he is at the plate or in the field

this season alone, next year Coleman said he plans to, “attend [Montgomery College] for either one or two years and then transfer out of [Montgomery College] to a division one college to play baseball.” As for the Rockets, Coach George admitted, “I don’t know how we will replace him. What I do know is that I’m a better coach and a better person for having been around Tyler for three years.”

Although his senior seasons may have

ended, Coleman left his mark on RM athletics. As Figueroa said, Tyler is, “by far the best player I’ve ever had the privilege to play with and learn from.” After coaching Coleman for three years, Coach George reflected on how he always reminds the team to surround themselves with, “good people.” “Good people don’t let you fail, they hold you accountable, they support you, but they are always there for you.

Tyler Coleman is good people.”

QUICK FACTS 0.482

Coleman’s batting average

2

number home runs hit by the team, both by Coleman

3

the number of years Coleman has been the team’s MVP

PHOTO BY KIANA STACY

Senior Tyler Coleman bats during against Northwood, leading the team to a 12-2 win.

Lessons I have learned: capping off my high school sports career

by Jonathan Marx Two weeks ago, my high school baseball career ended. After the final out, as most of my teammates packed up their bags and trudged off to the parking lot, I sat in the dugout and cried. I was in a complete state of shock and disbelief – how could it all be over just like that? I could not believe it.

Our coach’s postgame speech was brief.

He recited some of the usual platitudes how we had been wonderful to coach, how we were all great people, and how he would miss us on and off the field. As he walked away, I looked up at the underside

of the bill of my cap – at the beginning of my junior season, the coach had asked every player to write a few short phrases there for in-game inspiration. Many of my teammates included lengthy advice to themselves, but mine were short and sweet.

One read “First Pitch Strikes” and the other was simply “FINISH.” I think about these two phrases all the time. “First Pitch Strikes” focuses on getting ahead, having a strong start, and taking advantage of favorable conditions.

On the other hand, “FINISH” is all about bringing things full circle, fighting through adversity, and completing everything you attempt.

The combination of these two simple

PHOTO BY LEILANI STACY

Senior Jonathan Marx has been a pitcher for the school’s baseball team for four years.

ideas is what drives everything I do in life.

“First Pitch Strikes” is a call to action – to try new things, to exploit my strengths, to not waste the loving support of my family and friends. “FINISH” is a cry of determination – to go all-out in everything I do, to persevere when I struggle, to follow through on promises to myself and to others.

My experiences at school have forced me to draw upon both of these mottos. I have been able to take advantage of my ability to quickly understand information (“First Pitch Strikes”), but I have also had to struggle to make sense of complex concepts and push myself to complete work in the wee hours of the morning (“FINISH”). As captain of the It’s Academic team, I’ve made valuable use of my parents’ willingness to drive us to faraway tournaments and to quiz me on obscure authors and their works (“First Pitch Strikes”), but I also spend ten-to-fifteen hours on my own every week polishing up and learning new facts (“FINISH”).

With complete control of just one of these two concepts, it’s difficult to be successful. For example, for much of my early life, I struggled with throwing “First Pitch Strikes” in the social arena – if someone reached out to me, I could make conversation and befriend them, but I was often shy and afraid to approach and deal with peers who were still strangers to me. On the other hand, as evidenced by our brutal playoff loss and numerous lateinning collapses all season, the baseball team was excellent at getting ahead but could never quite FINISH. As I head off to college this fall, I’ll bring my trusty old sweat-streaked cap with me – and its messages.

First Pitch Strikes: I’ll try to expand my

horizons and choose new and potentially difficult classes. I’ll reach out to make friends with the absolute strangers who will surround me from day one, to keep me sane and happy amid the competitive academic atmosphere.

Finish: I’ll get my work done in a timely fashion, so as not to waste the time and money that my parents and I are investing in making my college dreams a reality. I’ll keep my promises to professors, friends, and teammates, to validate their trust in me.

So as I sat slumped against the fence, wiping away my tears, I ended one era and began a new one. When I leave home for college, I’ll have struck out the game’s first hitter and a new one will be heading toward the plate. No matter what new challenges or difficulties this brings, I believe in my formula for success.

First Pitch Strikes. Then FINISH. It’s as simple as that. And of all the wonderful lessons I’ve learned from sports, these are the two I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

COMMITMENTS •

Melanie English, Volleyball, Middlebury College Rio Hodges, Swimming, New York University Simona Santi, Cross Country/ Track, Pepperdine University Alexandra Wong, Soccer, Virginia Commonwealth University