The Tide - December 2014

News 2-4

Coffeehouse 5

Opinions 6-8

International 10-11

Center Spread 12-13

La Marea 14

Arts 16-17

Features 18-19

Sports 22-24

RM goes global at International Night

Fine Lines draws crowd for winter coffeehouse

by Kevin Liu and Alexander Yu

PHOTO BY CONNIE CHEN

Most days of the year, Richard Montgomery students show their pride in black and gold. Not so on Friday, Dec. 12, when RM’s international students took to the stage to show off their native countries.

The evening marked another year of Richard Montgomery’s annual International Night, a showcase of the diverse cultural backgrounds of the school’s students and staff.

International Night has always served as a forum for the school

to appreciate the wide spectrum of cultures present in the RM community.

Junior Aashna Pradhan said, “it’s an opportunity for all of us to merge with other ethnic backgrounds.” During the event, different groups representing their respective cultures put together various exhibitions, including singing, dancing, and food.

“It’s a night where we can show off our pride for our own countries,” said seniors Concepcion Motta and Andrea Lazo, “we can also show how different cultures can coexist and work together to create

something truly amazing.” Motta and Lazo both participated in this year’s International Night, with Lazo in charge of a performance group and Motta performing in that group.

The co-sponsor of this event, ESOL teacher Aremona Bennett, described International Night as a “celebration of our global world as represented by our students at RM,” adding that “we have abundant talent that we can showcase during this night, and that includes the wide variety of table displays with different cultural items and cuisines.”

INTERNATIONAL, cont. page 10

Fine Lines coffeehouse takes place every two or three months.

On Dec. 5, RM’s literary magazine, Fine Lines, held its annual winter coffeehouse, the second such show organized this school year. Tens of student soloists, duets, and a cappella groups performed, filling the chorus room with three hours of live music.

Unlike at most concerts and shows—inside or outside of RM—there is little dividing the performers and audience at coffeehouse. “The people performing are only a couple feet in front of you… it’s very intimate,” Fine Lines editor in chief Mihret Zemedkun said.

According to Zemedkun, the main draw for students is the opportunity to see their friends perform. “The most important aspect is that you get to see your friends outside of school surroundings and in their true habit,” she said. “You see your classmates in a different light, in a stress-free environment.”

The next coffeehouse will take place in February around Valentine’s Day. For more photos of coffeehouse, go to page 5.

By Matthew Zipf

PHOTO BY GRACE CHEUNG

The auditorium was filled with colors and music on Friday, Dec. 12, as students showcased their cultures.

Teacher demographics fail to reflect student diversity

by Phil Zhang A recent Montgomery County Council report revealed that the MCPS teaching staff does not accurately reflect the diversity of the MCPS student body.

According to a summary of 202 county schools for the 2012-2013 school year, about 75.5 percent of professional staff were white, 12.5 percent were African American, and 12 percent were of other ethnic groups.

Compared to the student population, which is made up of 32 percent white students, 21.4 percent African American students, 27.4 percent Hispanic or Latino students, and 14.4 percent Asian students, there is a large underrepresentation of non-white teachers in MCPS. The report released by The Office of Legislative Oversight, titled “Cultural and Linguistic Diversity of MCPS Students and Staff” was a response to concerns in the community about the diversity among the teaching staff.

MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr personally added

PHOTO BY CONNIE CHEN

RM’s student body is among the most diverse in Montgomery County. his own response to the issue in a letter that was attached to the report. “The notion is worrisome, as we are concerned that it could be misinterpreted to imply that teachers of one race cannot adequately meet the instructional needs of students of another race” Superintendent Starr wrote.

The MCPS student body has changed greatly over the past few

decades. In 1985, the student body was 70 percent white, more than double the percentage of white students today. The teaching staff, however, has not significantly increased its diversity, going from 89 percent white to still 76 percent white today.

Superintendent Starr has already promised to do better in expanding teacher diversity, but

the school system must uphold its high standard of quality in its teachers and cannot hire a teacher based solely on their race.

“The quality of the teacher is always number one, but diversity is very important,” MCPS spokesperson Dana Tofig said.

“Part of the challenge that we face is we hire teachers from the pool that’s available.”

To diversify the pool of teachers available, MCPS has increased efforts in recruiting teachers from historically black colleges and universities.

The goal is to increase the diversity of the pool of new teachers, and recruiting racially diverse teachers from different universities allows MCPS to ensure that the teacher will also be competent enough to maintain our high standard of teachers.

“I think it is very important, especially considering the population of students, you want to have a teacher population that in some way reflects the student population,” English teacher Jeremy Koenig said. For many students, the quality of the

2014 Year in Review Pages 12-13

DIVERSITY, cont. page 2

Opinions, 7

International, 11

La Marea, 14

Arts, 17

Features, 19

Sports, 22

Programming requirement

Foreign languages at RM

La tecnología de hoy

Meet Jemies Saratis

Holiday gift ideas

Track rockets forward

NEWS 2 The Tide Increasing teacher diversity better represents the student body diversity DIVERSITY, cont. from page 1 teacher is more important than racial diversity.

“Race doesn’t matter, as long as they effectively teach the course materials, they should be fine,” junior Jeffrey Chang said.

Teachers bring different experiences to the classroom, and increasing diversity could be a way to bring a larger range of different experiences. “You can learn different things from a diverse group of teachers. You don’t only learn from the curriculum, you learn from your teacher’s experiences,” freshman Julia Wang said.

“I think diversity in general is a positive for interaction. Whenever you are surrounding yourself with people from one background or one particular perspective, which can be limiting as far as the way we see things. So I think that being in a school with a diverse teaching staff and being privy to different perspectives on things would absolutely be a benefit,” Koenig said.

Still, increasing diversity can potentially create a better learning environment for students. A learning environment where you can have a teacher of a similar background to communicate with can allow a student to be

comfortable and open up. “I think that having a diverse teacher population, in one case, may create an environment where, if students see teachers that are like them or they see teachers that are minorities and may have shared experiences, then they may feel a greater connection with their teacher,” media specialist Michelle Alexander said.

RM is known for its large population of foreign students as well as its International Baccalaureate programs.

A diverse teaching staff could better represent the cultural diversity present in our school, covering the wide range of backgrounds of RM students, and the international nature of the school’s curriculum.

“I think something that is very important in education is the connection that a student has to a teacher. And I know that can be done regardless of the diversity of a student population and the

of a staff,”

75.5

percent of county professionals are white

12.5

percent of county professionals are African American

12

percent of county professionals are other enthicities

diversity teaching Koenig said.

December 2014

NEWS IN BRIEF

Admissions lawsuit on Asian American discrimination Last month, two lawsuits were filed against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill in an effort to cut affirmative action programs in colleges across the country. The lawsuits were filed by The Project on Fair Representation (PFR) in Washington and the Students for Fair Admissions, which is comprised of schools, parents, and qualified students who were rejected.

The lawsuits brought up a 2013 verdict made in Fischer v.

University of Texas, which ordered universities to use raceneutral policies by increasing scholarships and taking into account economic backgrounds over race.

Harvard University is currently being accused of practicing unfair rules, such as accepting a high number of legacy students, students with relatives who have attended, and early admission students.

The controversy is focused on Harvard limiting the admission of Asian Americans each year. According to Edward Blum, the director of PFR, the number of accepted Asian Americans is lower today than it was 20 years ago. While neither Harvard nor UNC have issued a public response, the Students for Fair Admissions have stated they will not stop here and will continue with the objective of ending affirmative action policies completely.

By Jenny Chen

Ferguson and Eric Garner Grand Jury Decisions On Aug 9, 2014, in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson got into a confrontation with 18-year-old Michael Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson. The altercation escalated with Officer Wilson eventually fatally shooting Brown eight times.

On Nov 25, 2014, a Missouri grand jury voted not to indict Officer Wilson in the matter of Brown’s death. The failure to indict signifies that the grand jury did not find probable cause to initiate a trial that would determine if Officer Wilson engaged in any criminal activity in regards to the shooting. The streets of Ferguson erupted into riots and protests in response to the decision.

Several key witnesses claim that Brown had his hands up in the universal symbol of, “hands up, don’t shoot,” before he was fatally wounded by the police officer. Reports have also surfaced that Wilson changed his testimony of events between the day of the shooting and his sworn statement in court, according to CNN. “The reason I have a clean conscience is because I know I did my job right,” said Wilson in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. Wilson is one of three officers who have not been indicted recently for fatal brutality against unarmed civilians .

On Dec 3, 2014, a Staten Island, N.Y. grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer for putting Eric Garner, an AfricanAmerican man, in an illegal chokehold that led to his death.

Cleveland police officer Tim Loehmann was also not indicted for fatally shooting 12-year-old Tamir Rice after the child brandished a BB gun. Loehmann had previously been labeled “unfit for duty” by his Police Chief, according to the Daily Beast.

By Dahlia Wilson

New online practice tests for Maryland driving test GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG

MCPS teacher diversity has risen and become more reflective of the diversity within the student body.

December/January

Dec 19

Winter Pep Rally Don’t get caught not wearing black and gold.

Dec 23

Last Day Give holiday gifts to your friends before you leave!

Dec 24-Jan 2

Winter Break Enjoy your well-deserved break with family and food.

Jan 1

New Year’s Day What’s your new year’s resolution?

Jan 12-16

Exam Week You’re probably wishing you studied over break.

Jan 19-20

No School!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and professional day

The Montgomery County Public Library (MCPL) system has teamed up with Driving-Tests.org to offer free online practice tests for the written portion of the Maryland driving test. The site provides student drivers with a new opportunity to prepare for the test by viewing selected practice multiple choice problems on their webpage.

The online practice tests are offered in both timed and untimed versions to simulate the real conditions of the test. The libraries have already begun offering the online service. Any member of the MCPL system with a valid library card can access the in-house library computers in order to practice with the program.

The Maryland DMV is hoping to increase the success rates of prospective drivers taking the test so as to avoid them having to retake it. Maryland residents currently planning to take a drivers’ test will find that the test consists of 20 to 25 questions depending on the class of permit they are applying for. A score of 85 percent or better is required to pass. At present there is no additional fee required if a student must retake the test for an insufficient score.

By Dahlia Wilson

RM senior wins third place in national competition After competing against five other national finalists, senior Molly Zhang won third place in the 2014 Siemens Competition and a $40,000 college scholarship.

The Siemens Competition is a science research competition that encourages high school seniors to undertake intensive research projects on a topic of their choice. Zhang’s project involved the synthesis of gold bellflowers for potential cancer treatment.

Though she had to know all the ins and outs of her project for her oral presentation and the private question and answer session of the national competition, Zhang also stressed dedication that she and the other contestants had to bring to the competition.

“I feel as if it’s also extremely important to simply be yourself, since the judges aren’t looking for a robot - they’re looking for someone who truly enjoys what they do, and are able to convey this passion to the general population and make them excited about STEM as well,” Zhang said.

Zhang plans to work in biomedical sciences, where she will be able to apply scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

By Brittany Tabora

The Tide

NEWS

December 2014

3

Twitter helps RM to promote spirit and community

by Jisue Gonzalez The use of technology in classrooms has spread outside the school environment and into the hands of teachers and staff, many of whom are committed “Tweeters.”

Twitter is now used not only by students, but also by administrators, teachers, and clubs all throughout the RM community.

There are over 12 active staff members and several student-run organizations, like RM Robotics, Fine Lines, SGA, and the Tide, that are ardent “tweeters”. Twitter has become an essential part in representing the interests of groups and individuals in our school.

“Tweeting affords us the opportunity of interacting more closely with our community at a level not possible with conventional methods of communication.

We use Twitter to collaborate with others teams, while also making announcements about upcoming events,” Robotics captain sophomore Peter Maldonado said.

The social media site serves as a practical method for advertising events within the school. For example, Fine Lines, the school’s literary arts club, advertises its popular coffeehouses on Twitter. Similarly, the RM SGA tweeted that the Holiday Toy Drive had been extended from Friday, Dec. 5 to Tuesday, Dec. 9, instantaneously reaching its over 250 followers.

“I think advertising on social media really helps because it reaches more people faster. A lot of times people are rushing or don’t notice papers taped to the walls, but they’re probably more likely to read a tweet,” said sophomore Victoria Priester, a Fine Lines editor.

Aside from advertising, Twitter helps to build the RM community thanks to the interconnectedness of the tweets of RM staff, administrators, and clubs.

“I follow RM accounts like athletics, robotics, and theater that encourage me

to learn more about the school. I can also tap into the community of global educators and learn about what other math teachers are doing,” pre-calculus teacher John Chase said.

However, Twitter not only allows teachers to tap into their field’s online presence, but also allows them to be more heavily involved in the RM online

before the basketball game against Rockville High School, RM students tweeted hashtag #beatrockville for a “Twitter takeover” to demonstrate RM’s superior school spirit and support.

As another way to build and unite the RM community, seniors Andie Neufeld and Bailey Dinman were inspired by the popular “Humans of New York”

COURTESY OF DAMON MONTELEONE VIA TWITTER

RM principal Damon Monteleone is one of the many RM staff who use Twitter to promote school spirit and update students on RM events, such as basketball games. community. The Twitter run by IB Coordinator Jennifer Hoover for the IB department, @IBeducatedRMHS, is filled with retweets of Mr. Monteleone, music teacher Dr. Peter Perry, English teacher Nancy Shay, and math teacher Laura Goetz, among several others.

The RM SGA uses Twitter as a way to rally RM twitter users before and during sporting events. On Thursday, Dec. 4,

Facebook and Twitter pages, and started “Halls of RM,” a school club that features a member or members in the RM community, student or staff member and something they said.

“I rarely check my Twitter, but when I do, I find a lot of tweets from Halls of RM and other clubs which keep me connected in the RM community,” sophomore Joseph Li said.

the HSA to the PARCC exams, the PARCC exams in English 10 and Algebra I will not become a graduation requirement until the 2016-2017 school year.

Furthermore, the requirements state that, as in the past, all students who are to graduate this year (June 2015) still must pass the biology and government HSAs in order to graduate.

Eventually, there will be PARCC assessments for English 9, 10, and 11, and for Geometry and Algebra II. However, since PARCC assessments are used by multiple states, there may be different set requirements on the state and county level.

For instance, MCPS may not require that students pass the English 11 or Algebra II exams to graduate. During these next two years of transition, the county will decide, based on student performances, what exams are appropriate for a graduation requirement.

The PARCC tests include a variety of problems, including constructed response items, performance-based tasks, and computer-enhanced items. The new PARCC tests plan to test critical thinking by creating questions that give students multiple ways to reach the answer.

However, not all students think that the test succeeded in being more approachable.

“I feel like it’s not really that good because it’s very systematic and doesn’t prompt your imagination or creativity. The prompts are laid out for you to answer in a specific way and there’s not much room for improvisation or adding your own ideas,” said sophomore Frederick Xu, one of the students who field-tested the PARCC exam last year.

Although the PARCC states that the new assessments will be much more interactive and engaging, they may also cause problems for students who have previously taken HSA-aligned courses, as well as for students who will be enrolled in the first years of PARCC-aligned courses.

In effect, the passing score will not be set until December 2015.

“I understand that there is still some confusion about the grading of the PARCC assessments and so we’re not sure how to advise students and teachers as to what the cutoffs will be,” counselor John Randall said.

With the recent increase of teachers using Twitter, many educators are sharing their teaching techniques and unique strategies over Twitter.

There are numerous accounts over which teachers can follow such as @teaching tips, an account which tweets tips and lesson ideas to implement in classrooms, and @teachingideas, which provides free resources and innovative ideas for teachers around the world.

Teachers are able to broadcast announcements and events unique to their departments as well. In the music and arts department, teachers can publicize school trips and concerts within the RM cluster.

“I was able to raise money for the choral trip to Europe through social media by posting on Facebook and tweeting,” choral teacher Ronald Frezzo said.

Although Twitter is a helpful tool for teachers and clubs, some people believe that teachers should not have Twitters because the teacher could misrepresent the voice of the school.

“Sometimes you have to reflect on the opinion of the school itself rather than personal views,” Chase said.

Others believe teachers should be able to have Twitters, but only for necessary reasons.

For example, some departments in the school might not have events to advertise or tweet about, which causes some to believe Twitter’s are unnecessary.

“I use Twitter for a purpose because I advertise the music program, concerts, and more, but I don’t think it’s necessary for an English teacher to use Twitter because they do not need to use it for something specific,” Frezzo said.

Other students also believe that teachers should not be restricted on social media solely because they are teachers.

“I think just because you are a teacher doesn’t mean you should be limited in the things you can do, one of which includes Twitter,” junior Ravi Kemburu said.

New state assessments will replace HSA and MSA

by Jenny Chen and Maddie Liu Starting this school year, Maryland will begin the full implementation of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers (PARCC) state assessments in reading and mathematics.

As they are aligned with the new and rigorous Common Core State Standards, the PARCC tests are designed to ensure that every student is prepared for the path to college and career readiness.

Unlike past standardized tests like the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) and the High School Assessment (HSA), the PARCC assessments are planned to be tested twice a year, one acting as a performance based assessment and the other as an end-of-theyear assessment.

“Hopefully, PARCC tests will be more reflective of how children are performing.”

-Frances Frost “Regardless of how we feel about standardized testing, it is a reality in today’s public school system. Hopefully, PARCC tests will be more reflective of how children are performing,” said the President of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations Frances Frost at the “PARCC Night” on Nov. 24 that MCPS hosted to inform parents about the new exams.

Starting this year, the PARCC tests will replace the MSA for students in grades 3-8, and the HSA for students currently enrolled in Algebra I and English 10.

However, to assist in the transition from

many students in the IB program at RM, several parents at the “PARCC Night” expressed concern that students would not be able to perform to the high expectations and standards that the PARCC has.

According to data provided by the

PHOTO BY BRITTANY TABORA

At the recent “PARCC Night,” hosted by MCPS, students and parents were given the opportunity to learn more about the new test that will replace the HSAs and MSAs. The new assessments are not intended to be used by colleges and universities in admissions decisions. They are only intended to give students a College-orCareer-Ready Determination of whether or not they are academically prepared for the high level of performance expected in college or the workplace.

Of course many students are opposed to the PARCC assessments and feel that standardized testing in general is highly unnecessary.

“They’re kind of a nuisance for GT or magnet students to take because they’re at standard level and we’re learning at a higher level,” freshman Tran Nguyen said.

Although this may be especially true for

county, in the school year 2012-13, 95 percent or more of RM seniors passed the Biology, Algebra I, and Government HSA exams. However, only 68 percent of RM ESOL students passed the Algebra I HSA and only 62 percent passed the English HSA. It will be hard to find a difficulty level for the PARCC assessments that accurately represents the level of academic excellence that is required for college and the workplace without becoming a challenge that is too difficult for some students.

Parents and students can go to the next “PARCC Night,” which is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2015 at Montgomery Blair High School to get more information.

4

The Tide

NEWS

December 2014

MCPS tackles school construction budget increase

by Julia Wang and Isabelle Zhou

With the student population of the county steadily increasing, the MCPS school board has decided to increase the construction budget by $223.3 million.

This budget increase, part of a six-year plan, aims to resolve the concerns that have been brought up about facility problems at schools, to aid schools in need of renovations.

Bruce Crispell is the director of the MCPS Division of Long Range Planning.

The division also manages the increase of the construction budget, known as CIP, the Capital Improvements Program.

“We hope it’s a long term solution. It describes the methodology we used and we looked at all the schools and rated them- all the schools that haven’t been built recently. It is about compromising with the environment, teachers, and many other factors,” Crispell said.

However, most of the budget will not be allocated to new high schools. “We have an inventory but most of them are elementary schools or at some extent middle schools.

We only have one future high school site in the county right now, but other than that we would have to purchase land which isn’t that easy,” Crispell said.

Older schools that are worn out or had renovation plans that could not be carried out before with the previous budget can take this opportunity to refurbish their buildings.

“My elementary school almost had an entire school of just portables. Same thing happened to my other elementary schoolthey added entire wings because there

were so many kids so I think mainly elementary schools need the budgets,” freshman Sabrina Guedes said.

However, many students feel that the county is failing to provide sufficient funds for renovation throughout MCPS. “Elementary, middle, and high schools all need some kind of renovation. More money should come from the state because the county cannot provide it,” senior Charlie Kang said.

CIP has garnered support from student organizations, namely MCR, the Montgomery County Regional S t u d e n t

Government, which has supported the plan since day one. “MCR will continue to advocate for the increase in the CIP budget with county council and state legislature,” MCR Executive Board member and sophomore Summer Oh said.

“We reach out to school SGAs to learn about the maintenance and overcapacity problems that high school students are facing; we then incorporate those concerns into our annual MCPS budgetary priorities, our discussions with MCPS staff, and our CIP testimony to the Board of Education,” MCR

president senior Richie Yarrow said.

In spite of the limitations of the plan, the amended CIP approved by the Board of Education actually includes funding for

GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG

a study on RM, possibly for an eventual addition. Although RM may be faring better than others since it was last renovated in 2007, it too is almost reaching over capacity, making some students worried.

“Right now, RM is roughly at capacity and will officially go over capacity over

the next few years, although RM students today often encounter the hallway jams that are signs of overcrowding,” senior Richie Yarrow said.

In light of the drawbacks of an overcrowded school, students support the idea of a new addition. “It’s not fair to the students, since it is much harder to learn in a cramped learning environment,” sophomore Jisue Gonzales said.

The increase is indeed reasonable for some schools, but a better distribution of money for other departments’ budgets could be more beneficial for Richard Montgomery.

“I think it should go to places that haven’t had any new renovations in the past five years, but some of it should be allocated to use in other educational areas,” freshman Adjeoda Tekpor said.

For a school where an increase in the construction budget is not very relevant, focusing on other departments would be more practical, especially ones that typically face budget cutbacks.

“The money can be used for just general education like the art and music departments that are generally being more overlooked,” sophomore Alisa Yan said.

Other students were unaware of the new construction plans for the county.

“I think more people should be included in the decision because I didn’t know about it and a lot of my friends didn’t know about it and so because it involves us and how we interact I think we should be included in the decision,” junior Eileen Moudou said.

Additionally, construction near these educational facilities is important to note.

Near Richard Montgomery, the Rockville Planning Commission has proposed an expansion of Fleet Street, bringing greater volumes of traffic directly in front of the school. These construction decisions are incredibly pertinent to student life and there are online petitions against the expansion that students can sign.

Substitute arrested on sexual harassment charges

by Lipi Agrawal and Brittany Tabora A recent sexual harassment case surrounding a substitute teacher at Roberto Clemente Middle School (RCMS) has pushed MCPS into local news coverage.

According to an article from WJLA News, Jose Pineda, a 50-year-old substitute teacher, was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and arrested on October 14. On September 30, he had been repeatedly fondling a 12-year-old girl at RCMS, touching her leg and buttocks while the rest of the science class watched an instructional video.

After ABC 7 News covered the story about Pineda’s arrest, three more students came forward and reported that Pineda had inappropriately touched them. Two of those students were sixth graders at Ridgeview Middle School in Gaithersburg who had been groped by Pineda in 2014.

The other incident dated back ten years and occurred at Forest Oak Middle School (FOMS). This fourth victim, now 23-yearsold according to the article, said that Pineda fondled her back, thigh, and buttocks when she was a seventh grader. According to charging documents filed in Montgomery County District Court, her family had immediately reported the incident to the FOMS Principal John Burley. However, there is no record of any charges being filed against Pineda for this 2004 incident.

“We don’t have any information about the alleged 2004 incident and whether Mr. Burley reported the incident to the police or not. He retired a few years ago. What we do know is that when there was an allegation brought to our attention this time, it was promptly reported to the police and an arrest was made,” MCPS spokesman Brian Edwards said in an ABC 7 News inquiry.

However, there is still a lot of controversy surrounding how the recent arrest of Pineda was handled by RCMS Principal Khadija Barkley. Although Pineda was arrested October 14, it was not until November 7 that Mrs. Barkley sent out a letter to parents.

“Once we were informed that an arrest According to an article from The Monteleone sent out a letter with students had been made, I should have notified Washington Post, Epps had been hired by to inform their parents of the incident you and I apologize again for not sharing a district contractor through a temporary and assure them that RM was committed this information with you sooner,” agency. Although that contractor had a to maintaining a safe and secure learning Barkley said in the letter. policy of completing criminal background environment.

Still, some students feel very strongly “Schools need to work together to checks on their employees, the temporary prevent these kinds of things from agency found no criminal records and about this case.

“Firing him wasn’t a correct punishment, happening. It’s unacceptable that Pineda failed to reveal that in 2010, Epps pleaded stayed on the substitute list for so long, guilty to second-degree assault for a case you should put him in jail,” sophomore Eileen Moudou said. even after a complaint was filed,” junior surrounding a CVS cashier and customer.

According to an article from Fox 5 Meghan Hu said.

The deputy state’s attorney in Anne MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr Arundel County, WIlliam Roessler, News, Pineda is currently being held on has taken measures to ensure that such reported that Epps’ two fourth-degree $150,000 bail after being charged with incidents are handled appropriately. sex offenses were given an inactive status three additional counts of third-degree sex “I have created a work group that and not convicted because of Epps’ plea offense and three counts of sexual abuse of includes staff, community members, bargain. Epps is not on the state sex- a minor.

Epps was given a suspended sentence of and representatives of the police, offender registry. child protective services and the state’s Since Epps did work at our school for two years and was fined $2,500 and placed attorney office to review our regulations, a brief period of time, Principal Damon on 18 months’ probation. policies and protocols, and help us develop training and resources,” Dr. Starr said in a news conference on December 4.

Dr. Starr also spoke about the trainings MCPS held last month for all the principals to reinforce the protocols that are used when there is an allegation of abuse, and the newly-implemented robust, centralized database that monitors employees against whom allegations have been raised, even if the police chose not to investigate or charge them. MCPS will now require fingerprinting and full background checks for all employees and contractors who work in a school building.

In a similar, but unrelated case, a security camera contractor, John Epps Jr., who did some work at RM on July 7 and 8, as well as September 12 and 19 of this year, was recently arrested on October PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTO CLEMENTE MIDDLE SCHOOL 7 for groping another 12-yearRoberto Clemente Middle School is the site of the most recent sexual harassment charge, which old student at John T. Baker was levered against substitute teacher Jose Pineda, for groping a 12-year-old girl in his class.

Middle School.

The Tide

December 2014

5

Winter Coffeehouse

Students attending coffeehouse are offered copies of Fine Lines’s 2014 magazine, “Crux.”

Junior Matias Cardinale sings in front of a full audience.

Senior Adam Ng plays a complicated riff at coffeehouse during his guitar solo.

Senior Andrew Mitchell sings and plays his guitar.

Above: Senior Sebastian Suarez practices with a friend before his performance.

Right: Senior Milkom Abose shows off his talent on the electric guitar before a packed house on December 5. Abose was one of several guitarists who performed.

PHOTOS BY CONNIE CHEN

English teacher Sara Hashem Liles recites two poems.

6 The Tide

OPINIONS

MCPS makes changes to calendar

by The Tide Editorial Staff

In the October 2014 issue of The Tide, we discussed the possibility of MCPS closing its operations out of deference to the holy days of religious minorities that are well represented in the school system. Last month, the Board of Education decided to remove all mentions of religion from its calendar.

In most cases when MCPS garners national attention, it is for outstanding academic achievements. Recently, however, our school district has been the subject of such headlines as “No religious holidays on Maryland district's calendar” on CNN and has been the subject of disparaging remarks on both ends of the political spectrum, from Reverend Al Sharpton to the hosts of Fox and Friends.

On November 11, the MCPS Board of Education voted to remove all references to religious holidays from the school calendar, a decision which provoked widespread backlash.

The vote was prompted by the Equality-for-Eid coalition’s request that the county pencil in the Muslim holiday Eid-ul-Adha, which will fall on September 24, 2015, the same day as Yom Kippur, onto the official calendar.

In a statement published on the MCPS website, board members Philip Kauffman and Patricia O’Neill wrote, “We made this change to emphasize that we cannot — under state or federal law — close schools for a religious reason. Any decision to close schools on a particular day must be made for a secular, operational reason, such as high absenteeism of students and/or staff.”

Yet, the timing and context of such a decision is, frankly, a slap in the face to the county’s

Muslim community. Essentially, the Board is telling Muslims, “Since now you’re asking for your religious holiday, we’re going to pretend we don’t actually celebrate religious holidays. The arbitrary holidays on the calendar in the fall just happen to coincide with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.”

GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG

MCPS has repeatedly emphasized that the percent of absent students on Eid-ulAdha – 5.6 percent in 2013 – is not significantly higher than the percent of absent students on any given day – about 5 percent.

However, there is one obvious flaw in this reasoning: since Eid is not an MCPS holiday, many Muslim students, including myself, do come to school on our holiday.

The county has also repeatedly failed to provide a standard or cutoff number for what constitutes “high absenteeism of students and/or staff.” The decision to close school for the two Jewish holidays was made in the 1970s, yet no data exists to indicate how many teachers and students were absent to motivate

their decision. Board member O’Neill admitted, “The only way to gauge absenteeism on Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah would be to open schools for those holidays to gather data.” She also stated, “I personally have no interest in doing that.”

The message could not be clearer: MCPS has no interest in recognizing the growing religious diversity of our county and merely wants to preserve the status quo. It will continue, under the pretense of operational reasons, to allow students of Jewish and Christian faiths to celebrate their holidays without having to worry about the work they are missing by not attending school, while continuing to marginalize religious minority groups who wish to celebrate their holidays with their families.

The decision may have been intended to create a paltry illusion of equality, but it fails to even achieve this low standard. Instead of celebrating our differences, we are blanketing them under the mask of professional days and vague administrative jargon.

If MCPS is to continue this system of school closures, the least it could do would be to implement compensatory policies that would alleviate the burden on students belonging to religious minorities.

Teachers should be prohibited from scheduling assessments, projects, or presentations for that day.

Students observing the holiday should be given extended time on homework assignments, in order to enable them to fully participate in their religious celebrations.

Teachers should offer reteaching sessions if they went over a major lesson during the holiday.

MCPS needs to make a more nuanced distinction between absence for a religious holiday and just any other absence. For a county that touts its diversity, it is time that we start reflecting these sentiments in our policies.

Poll of the month: Are RM’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact enough?

by Jamie Gordy Black, gold, and...green?

Richard Montgomery has been making a concerted effort to become more environmentally friendly. Have you noticed the new cardboard lunch trays in the cafeteria? Or perhaps the modernized light switches in many classrooms?

Although our school has worked to reduce our carbon footprint, most RM students have not noticed the efforts. Sixtyseven percent of students voted “I don’t know” in the poll.

“I think the school could reduce its carbon footprint by irrigating the grass more effectively and by creating a green roof or by installing solar panels,” said senior Tara Bhardvaj.

Solar panels would provide a

Yes No

I don’t know

December 2014

A sample of 336 students from all four grade levels was used to generate these results. The poll ran on RMBC from December 2-5, 2014.

clean, renewable source of energy for the school without harming the environment. This technology has been around for years and is becoming increasingly affordable.

A “green roof” covered in plants would also extend the lifespan of RM’s current roof and reduce the need for insulation and heating.

RM’s various environemntal clubs have had significant presences in many of these changes.

Sophomore Joseph Li, president of RM’s School Energy and Recycling Team, believes that the club “is trying to help the school become even more eco-friendy.”

“We shut down all the computers in the school on Fridays to save energy and money. We also lead cleanups after events like pep rallies and football games,” Li said.

Although these clubs work with the administration’s approval, they are primarily student operated.

“There is currently no administrator involved with the steps to make RM a greener school.

All efforts are done by clubs and are student-run,” said Laura Hermansdorfer, administrative assistant to Principal Monteleone.

Steps may not be taken as fast as many would like, but it is clear that RM is headed in the right direction.

Letters to the Editor

Master Pike Plan endangers student safety Most RM students have seen the worsening traffic issues right outside RM and have experienced traffic inconviences on the Fleet Street path to the Ritchie Center. The Rockville Master Pike Plan aims to divert traffic from Rockville Pike and Wootton Parkway to residential roads where our students walk.

In the past year there have been at least two reported incidents of RM students being hit without this proposed extension in place. Therefore, creating another four-way intersection with no guarantee of a stoplight is not in the best interest of students’ health, safety, and right to walk.

-Nathan Poland, 12th grade

RM students escatic after dominating Rockville in girls and boys basketball On the Friday of the big game, both sides of the crowd were on fire with energy, and players from both sides really gave it all they had. But the RM students simply had more spirit and our players had that extra edge. Despite Rockville’s admirable efforts, the Rocket basketball team put up a better fight and defeated the Rams. I didn’t expect such a high turnout for the first game of the season. The immense support of the crowd definitely contributed to the energy of the players. This fantastic start to the season hopefully means many more great games to come.

-Ben Rosenberg, 11th grade

Mock Trial tackles issues of police conduct As a new member on the mock trial team, I was initially surprised when I learned that our case this year was based off of the events from the widely controversial Ferguson case. Before receiving the case files, many people, myself included, were only interested in approaching the case from a racial standpoint. But executing a mock trial case in which race is not the sole factor is pushing us to evaluate the case of Michael Brown as an excessive use of force incident, instead of the purely racial crime that has been so often evaluated in the media. After spending time studying this case, my eyes have opened to how complicated every case really is - and this one is certainly no exception.

-Varsha Ramachandran, 10th 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.

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

Editors-in-Chief....Andrew Del Vecchio, Rachel Gold, Catherine Wang, Matthew Zipf News................................................................Grace Cheung, Claire Luo, Brittany Tabora Opinions.................................................Farah Kabir, Anagha Lokhande, Jennifer Zhang International........................................................................Adithya Girish, Nikita Sardana Center Spread.....................................................................Anna Lavrentieva, Muye Wang La Marea............................................................................................................Darian Garica Features...........................................................................................Liz Choi, Michelle Wang Arts................................................................Michelle Dubovitsky, Nancy Jin, Max Molot Sports.................................................................Daisy Grant, Andy Kostka, Yueyang Ying Photo......................................Rachit Agarwal, Connie Chen, Maddie Franke, Mona Lee Graphics......................................................................................Nancy Jiang, Cynthia Song Copy.....................................................Nathan Li, David Nguyen, Alex Yu, Emily Zhang Sponsor.....................................................................................................Mrs. Andrea Lyons

The Tide

OPINIONS

Black & Gold

December 2014

7

Should MCPS introduce a new computer science course requirement?

G

Programming teaches thinking skillls Advocates for the initative lack logic

by Trinish Chatterjee

In recent years, computer programming has been stereotyped as a task to be done by super-intelligent geeks hunched over their keyboards working late into the night.

Popular culture is replete with the image of the hacker cruising his way (it is usually a “he”) into the into FBI or CIA mainframes with a few keystrokes onto a monitor with incomprehensible text rushing by.

Programming is a mystery, a black box to be exploited by geniuses living in their parents’ basements.

This could not be farther from the truth.

Programming can, and has, been taught to fifth graders: a software called “Scratch”, developed by MIT, allows kids to drag and drop blocks of commands that fit together like Legos, which altogether create a

taught alongside the other sciences.

Not only is programming easier than the stereotype holds, it is also an important class for critical thinking skills.

Programming is a lot like creating a recipe: imagine a cook (the computer), that will do exactly what you (the programmer) tell it to, with one catch: the cook only knows a certain number of commands, like “stir,” “pour,” and “chop.” In this scenario, telling the cook how to bake a cake, make pasta, or even boil water is like creating a puzzle that the cook must then solve.

Given your set of tools (the commands), you have to somehow create a finished product, the recipe. This type of critical thinking is extremely useful in all subject areas, since the process of taking parts and fitting them into meaningful wholes is everywhere: programming commands create programs, mathematical operations lead to solving equations in algebra, passages from a novel build up meaningful

PHOTO BY CONNIE CHEN

A student in Computer Science 2 class uses Eclipse to learn how to program in Java. functioning program. These programs can be games, animations, or even simple 4-function calculators. And if 10-year-olds can program, then high school students most definitely can as well.

One of the biggest differences between students today and students 20 years ago is undoubtedly the massive amounts of time that teenagers spend with technology.

Everyday, we send Snapchats or upload files to Turnitin.com without even thinking about how all those functions are carried out by our phones or computers. When you type up your essays and hit save, what is actually happening to that file? Where does it go? How is it stored?

In science classes, we are taught concepts to help us understand the world better: in chemistry, we learn about atoms and molecules; in biology, cells and organelles; and in physics, momentum and charge.

These concepts are not immediately useful to our lives, but learning them provides us a better grasp of how the world works.

Computer technology, on the other hand, does have an immediate use in our lives; yet it is given the cold shoulder.

Students, in the current curriculum, are never even exposed to basic concepts about computers, like how a CPU works or binary representations of data, let alone how to write simple programs. In a world where programmable computer technology is most likely sitting in your pocket right now in the form of your smartphone, programming and basic computer technology concepts should be

B

Black

themes, and historical documents come together to form a narrative.

Even though computer science is offered at RM, the class does not fulfill the MCPS’ technology requirement, thus giving students little incentive to take the class. Yet, the philosophy behind introducing the techniqology requirement was to expose all students to at least one year of engineering, since that field was heralded as essential for American industry and economy. All it takes is one look at a computer lab filled with students at lunch to realize that computer science occupies a similar position in today’s world.

The biggest argument for programming in schools is, of course, the economy.

Programming jobs are among the fastest growing, and not only will learning programming prepare students for successful careers, but it will also add billions of dollars to the economy.

For instance, take Apple, a company built on computer technology and programming. Apple’s total worth is around $700 billion. For comparison, that is more than all of the US military’s spending in 2013, which comes up to around a measly $640 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Proponents of an extended programming pedagogy in the past have often been panned for framing programming as the pithy present-day pinnacle of progress, when they are in fact promoting “fads” that pale into the periphery of public perception. It is safe to say, however, that in today’s society, computer technology has moved from a “fad” to a part of life that cannot be ignored.

We are in the era of the Internet, and it is important for the future of our nation, the future of our students, and the future of technological progress that programming be a required course in public schools.

by Jared Stolove

How many hours a day do you spend browsing Reddit, catching up with the latest episode of Key and Peele, or playing Candy Crush on your phone?

Undoubtedly, knowledge of how to use technology is integral to a student’s life.

Nonetheless, it is not necessary, or even advisable, to require students to take classes in computer science.

Proponents of this mandate suggest that knowledge of computer science is essential for students to function in the modern world. They insist that, since information technology is a quickly-growing industry, schools ought to prepare students for jobs in that field. Even more broadly, advocates for a computer science graduation requirement believe that learning to code teaches students a particular strategy for solving problems that applies to all fields, but cannot be taught in any others.

Sure, these arguments might all sound compelling, but they break down under any kind of scrutiny. First, let us look at the idea that computer science knowledge is essential because of technology’s prevalence in our daily lives. This sounds sensible, but is wholly untrue, for the same reason that we do not all learn psychology.

Yes, the ability to interact with and engage with other people is an essential skill, but that does not mean that we need to be experts on the workings of the human mind. Similarly, knowing how to use technology is important for all students, but knowing how to program is only important to those who choose to specialize in information technology.

One may argue that the recent growth in the computer science industry is enough of a reason for all students to at least take introductory courses in programming.

However, we already tried out a similar idea with Montgomery County’s technology credit requirement. Each student must

Gold them against taking similar classes in the future. Even worse, though, is the fact that this additional credit requirement takes away a student’s opportunity to take a class in an area that actually interests him or her.

Now, what about the idea that learning computer science gives students a special skillset for problem solving? Well, sure, this is true, but an introductory computer science course does not teach students the same logic skills as a lifetime of programming. In Computer Science 1, students learn things like how to write basic commands, make shapes appear on a screen, and have the computer do simple math operations. Any “programming perspective” that would give students an edge is something that comes from designing complex systems, an experience that first-year students have very little exposure to.

Finally, even if we are under the delusion that it is worthwhile to require students to learn computer science, we are faced with a glaring problem: there simply would not be enough computer science teachers to meet the demand. Just this year, our high school floundered for months trying to replace our IB computer science teacher. Originally, we made do with a long term sub who, according to a student in his class, was well-intentioned but who “clearly had no idea what to do with a computer science class.”

Eventually we found a long term replacement in Everett Lum, who is more than capable but is a first-time teacher, fresh out of college. If Richard Montgomery struggles so much to find just one new

PHOTO BY CONNIE CHEN

Lum, the computer science teacher at RM, teaches all levels of programming.

However, he does not believe that programming should be a required course. take some sort of engineering course in order to graduate. The thinking behind this requirement is that since engineering is a rapidly growing field, every student should be exposed to it.

Unfortunately, the idea that requiring students to take a class will lead them to pursue a career in that field is unfounded.

As one student pointed out “taking POE (Principles of Engineering) didn’t make me more interested in engineering. Being required to take it made me feel like I was doing it just to graduate.” Forcing students to take classes in which they are not interested is simply not the way to introduce them to new fields. In fact, a bad experience early on is likely to prejudice

computer science teacher, how can the system as a whole be expected to find all the new teachers that would be required by this mandate?

Even Lum does not think that computer science should be a required class “Not everyone will be exposed to having to program,” he said. “It is not necessary to require [computer programming], though it should satisfy the tech credit.” This middle approach, including computer science in the technology category, solves the problem much better than any specific computer programming requirement.

No one doubts that computer science is a valuable skill, but any attempt to make it required is fundamentally misguided.

8

OPINIONS

The Tide

December 2014

The Rocket Spectrum

Does the racial gap between students and teachers impact learning?

“As long as all teachers are accepting, there should not be a problem. A diverse school gives students and teachers many things to learn about one another.”

-Min Oo, sophomore

“I don’t think it matters as long as all teachers are qualified. As long as the teacher can get the curriculum across well, the demographics to me aren’t extremely important.”

-Jonathan Huang, freshman

“I've personally never really thought about the racial demographics between teachers and students at RM but now that you mention it, it’s true most of the teachers are white. The gap could affect some, but it doesn't really impact me.”

-Rosie Silvers, freshman

No ,

GR

“No, not really. I have never thought how a racial gap affects how I learn.

I just sort of ignore races because we’re all equal so I don’t think it would be a detriment to my learning.”

-Reet Goraya, sophomore

Yes ,

potentially.

“I do not think that it is that big of an issue unless the teacher has a bias. For me, a teacher is a teacher.”

-Oliver Hu, junior

not at all.

“I believe that if I had a Vietnamese teacher, I would be able to learn a little bit better. Because I am bilingual, the teacher could explain things in my language.”

-Matt Nguyen, sophomore

NC

BY NA A P H IC

“Race has never played a role in my teaching or grading. I have taught in a variety of very diverse school districts. I don’t see race, I see potential.”

-Social studies teacher Andrea Lyons

G Y JI A N

“This issue doesn’t affect me personally, but I could definitely see how a student of color could feel alienated because the vast majority of their teachers are white”.

-James Gordy, junior

“A lot of time [this racial gap] affects students when they don’t have a teacher they can identify with, so it could potentially affect someone’s learning.”

-Kate McHale, freshman

Data was collected from the RM website.

RM should take more preemptive measures to prevent student suicides “mental health referral.” To this, counselor Sylvia Costa added, “[MCPS] has a wide

by Farah Kabir range of resources in terms of treatment.

We work with the student to find the best therapy plan — whether it’s an in-school We have all heard a version of this counselor or an out-of-school psychiatrist.”

Anyone who has encountered mental tragic story: a popular student gets good grades, is captain of the soccer team, and health treatment infrastructure, however, runs the debate club. The student’s future is undoubtedly aware of the significant cost seems undeniably bright, until he or she of therapists and medications alike. In these suddenly ends his or her life, leaving the circumstances, reaching out to a counselor family with endless unanswered questions. can be a pivotal first step toward getting in touch with resources.

This past September, “Many professional Fairfax County Public Schools dealt with three In the United States, a person therapists offer their services for free to such cases, prompting students at their parents, students, and commits suicide every respective schools,” teachers alike to question said Costa. whether the school system She added that was doing enough to “no student should prevent student suicides. hesitate to come Although suicide is talk to us if they are hard to predict or foretell, feeling depressed. the counseling departments Depression sees no at MCPS schools are doing color, no age, no the best they can. percent of American high gender. It’s not an The “Suicide Risk IB problem and IB Reporting Form” is school students have seriously kids aren’t immune the county’s standard to it. It’s not a protocol for identifying considered committing suicide “loser” problem. It’s and following up with not necessarily the students who express in the past 12 months. result of bullying, suicidal feelings. The form either. And it most contains a comprehensive certainly isn’t trivial. list of “risk factors,” from Depression kills... “recent academic failure” more than just to “history of scratching, cutting, or marks on percent have attempted suicide yourself; sometimes it kills elementary body,” and ensures that in that time. school children.” students who come forth It appears that with serious concerns, for the school has a themselves or for their Statistics from American Foundation functional system in friends, would receive for Suicide Prevention place to cope with adequate attention and students who have treatment. suicide or mental The form also contains a table of follow-up “support strategies,” health concerns. However, suicide is still from a “parent/guardian followup” to a highly stigmatized in our society.

13 minutes.

13.8 6.3

After the recent suicide of a student I know I am not alone in finding it problematic that I had to interview the at nearby Wootton High School, the counseling department to know that the counselors there have taken the initiative to educate risk assessment students about and treatment signs of and options were treatments for even in place. depression R i c h a r d t h r o u g h Montgomery English classes. evidently does Suicide is not do enough definitely a in the way of grave enough awareness and issue to warrant outreach. d e v o t i n g T h e instructional counseling time to making department sure that every claims it brings student is in a speaker at aware of the least once a year magnitude of to talk about the problem. the dangers of RM should take bullying, yet Wootton as an these events example, rather are neither than wait for widespread suicide to nor impactful directly affect enough to have a student at our any significant school before footprint. we implement In addition, such a measure. it is dangerous This past to lump bullying fall, seniors and depression, Connie Chen or depression and Anna GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG and antisocial Wunsch founded Let’s personality disorder, under the same umbrella. Although one End The Stigma (LETS), a club dedicated can be a symptom of the other, psychology to raising awareness about mental health teacher Sharon Vires said, “depression issues. Although the club is a fair step is sort of on it’s own. It is not necessary toward lifting the taboo on these topics, it that depression be accompanied by these does not have nearly as wide of an audience other circumstances or conditions.” These as their message deserves.

As Wunsch said, “It would be great associations may lead individuals to believe that their condition is not serious to see the counseling department or the because they cannot find one of the typical administration take up the initiative to explanations for it, and thus not seek help bring light to suicide, as they did with drunk for it, sending them into further depression. driving in the Safe or Sorry campaign.”

The Tide

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December 2014 9

10 The Tide

December 2014

INTERNATIONAL

Int’l Night highlights RM’s diversity

by Alexander Yu and Kevin Liu Bill Donnelly, also an RM ESOL teacher, worked closely with Bennett to organize and plan for the most successful International Night that Richard Montgomery has ever seen. “It was both an exciting and an interesting event that showcased the many cultures we have at RM,” he said.

During the event, attendees had the

There were numerous countries represented at the event owing to the diversity of RM’s student population. The majority of the performances were related to either Asian or South American culture, and together they provided for a night of great entertainment. Underneath a banner of the flags of the represented countries, the talented performers gave the audience a glimpse into just how diverse Richard Montgomery’s international culture truly is. International dances such as the Chinese fan dance were juxtaposed with modern

PHOTO BY KATHERINE WANG

RM students represent cultures and countries in every corner of the globe, from South America to Africa to Asia, and the school community has so much to learn from them. opportunity to visit student-created table displays in the cafeteria, which followed a series of performances by a multitude of student performers. Unlike the performances, the table displays are a more recent addition to International Night.

The inclusion of the displays complements the show, facilitating a greater amount of cultural understanding.

Because there were fewer people performing, this year’s International Night allocated more time to eat and visit the tables of the represented countries. Many people viewed this as a positive change, citing that having more time to check out the tables allowed them to learn about the more specific details of other cultures.

People were able to wander through all of the table displays without feeling any time constraints.

American dance, highlighting the distinct style of each country yet also emphasizing cultural unity. Exclamations of appreciation and admiration punctuated many of the performances, which culminated in a loud round of applause for each individual showing.

One of the most memorable acts of the night was the dance performance put together by RM’s very own Dance Team.

The dance performance was quite intricate and delighted all the members of the crowd. The highlight of that individual showing was when junior Puja Natarajan danced her solo. All eyes were fixed upon her as she whirled through the air with her cartwheels and easily executed complex dance moves. At the conclusion of her solo, she was rejoined by the other members of Dance team for a stunning finale that

showcased what American culture was truly about. Not surprisingly, the dance performance was one of the most wellreceived acts by the crowd.

Many of the represented countries’ tables and performances were sponsored by the various cultural clubs at RM. For example, China’s table was cooperatively hosted by the National Chinese Honor Society and the Chinese Culture Club, while the Burma club hosted their own table at the event.

With the cancellation of the Common Grounds assembly this year, students at RM have lost one opportunity to better connect to other cultures from various regions of the world. The cancellation puts greater emphasis on the importance of International Night as one of the few remaining links to other cultures that are represented by RM’s diverse student population. These cultures are rarely on display in class, on the Black Maskers stage, or on the sports fields, making International Night all the more valuable to the school community.

The loss of Common Grounds also means that greater attendance at International Night is crucial. Freshman Chamini Welikala said, “it was my first year participating in International Night.

Although it didn’t seem that we had a huge attendance, I hope that many more people come for future International Nights.”

“I didn’t have very high expectations for International Night, as it historically has had very low attendance,” said junior Zachary Berkow, “but when I finally attended this year, I was astonished by the amount of diversity and culture in front of my eyes. In all directions, I could see different representatives of the various cultures accompanied by culturally significant dishes.”

Regarding his overall impression of the event, Berkow said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the 2014 International Night, and if time permits, I know I’ll be back for it again next year.”

Clearly, International Night has been, and will continue to be, an important tradition that allows students to appreciate and learn about the many cultures represented by RM’s students and staff.

As sophomore Ornelle Fontrova puts it, “it doesn’t matter where you’re from; the only thing that matters is that we can all connect with each other during this event.”

Obama implements immigration reform

by Stephanie Zhang and Hayley Goddard The definition of “American” has always been an extremely loose one, and has recently dominated media headlines across the nation. In a nation referred to as the world’s “melting pot,” who can truly be considered an “American?” This controversial question has been circulating the news ever since President Obama announced his executive order.

On Nov. 20, 2014, President Barack Obama announced that all undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for over five years or have children who are legal United States citizens will be granted a reprieve from immediate deportation and may be able to receive a legal work permit.

The executive order will also expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act (which allowed illegal immigrants under the age of 30 who arrived as children to apply for a deportation deferral) to people over 30.

The president’s order mandates the immediate granting of temporary amnesty

to anyone who fits these requirements, but requires that they reapply every three years in order to stay in the country.

Richard Montgomery students have various opinions on the issue. Freshman

GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG

Matthew Pease said “While I believe that we cannot send illegal immigrants back to their homeland if it will put them in direct danger, we cannot just keep illegal immigrants in America. I drew a line for my tolerance of the country’s acceptance of illegal immigrants, and this Act has crossed

that line.”

However, history teacher Robert Eagleson feels differently. “I think this was a bold move by Obama. It was necessary in order for Congress and citizens to think and act on immigration,” he said.

There are even people who are in the middle ground. One such example is sophomore Hannah Zhang who said, “It’s impossible to deport them all at once, yet it’s also not possible to keep them all here to become citizens either...What will just keeping illegal immigrants here achieve?”

Some RM students are immigrants themselves, and have something to say about immigration reform in general.

Freshman Sooah Sohn, who came to the US from Korea when she was five, says “I think that if immigrants are doing nothing, they should go. Otherwise, stay. The path to citizenship should be reasonable and have limitations.”

America has long been known as the land of opportunity, and whether they come legally or not is a matter that is up to them. This executive order is not a law, nor permanent, but it is a starting point for what will hopefully spiral into meaningful immigration reform.

The World in Their Words

Honduras

I am going to talk about the differences between my country, Honduras, and the U.S.A. One of the main differences is the opportunities.

Here in the U.S.A we have better schools and all the schools have computers and great programs. This helps prepare us to go to college and then get a good job. In Honduras, we did not have many computers in our schools, and when student were ready to go to college, they were not prepared to do your projects on the computers. Another difference is the culture. For example, during Christmas in Honduras, everybody went to the church in Honduras.

Here in the U.S.A., people stay at home and they make food for the family. I really love this country. I am learning a new language, which will help me in the future.

-William Amaya

Turkey

When I came to the United States, I saw how much Western countries infuence third world countries firsthand. There are many differences between America and Turkey. First of all, Turkey is different because it is a developing country. Also, Turkey has a mixture of fundamentalist, idealist groups of people and more western groups with different political and national expectations.

Overall, the people in Turkey are more likely to live according to expectations and perspectives influenced by their own history and religious backgrounds. Here in America, people are the same in that way, but they have also learned how to live in boundaries that are more influenced by their wants than their backgrounds.

- Barbaros Erturan

If you would like to share a story or provide background on another country, email tide.international.editors@gmail. com. We would love to hear from you!

The Tide

December 2014

11

Hacking goes mainstream with computer spyware

by James Gordy and David Zhang At any given moment, there could be someone spying on your internet activity.

Your devices may have been infected and you might not even know it. The ability to capture screenshots, download files, and steal passwords are all within the realm of possibilities, due to the ever-increasing prevalence of malicious programs.

One such program is Regin. The computer security company Symantec recently discovered the existence of this malicious software, and has drawn surprising conclusions about the extent of its usage around the world.

Regin has been used over the past six years on a multitude of targets, mainly in Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland. The main purpose of the bug appears to be to collect information, and it has been used to spy on not only private individuals, but also large businesses and even government organizations.

Based on the sophistication of Regin, experts have concluded that it was developed not by a private organization, but by a government as a cyber-espionage tool.

The creators of Regin have gone to great lengths to cover their tracks, but Symantec believes that Regin likely originated from a western government based on the targets and level of the software.

The bug has been compared to Stuxnet, a program jointly developed by the United States and Israel to infiltrate Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

Although Regin seems to be designed for use by a government, it could be used by more dangerous groups such as terrorist organizations to obtain crucial and potentially deadly information.

Obviously, students at RM are unlikely to be under cyber attack by world governments or terrorist organizations,

GRAPHIC BY VALENCIA FU

The issue of cyberterrorism is growing more prevalent as new spywares are created. but they aren’t the only ones tracking computer activity. MCPS currently tracks student activity on school computers and has installed firewalls to block access to school inappropriate pages.

The county is only able to track website access if students are connected to a school’s Wi-Fi network, and now that schools offer free open Wi-Fi, tracking of student online activity has expanded greatly. With smartphones and tablets connected to the school Internet, MCPS has a much greater oversight capability. Any device that is connected to the Wi-Fi can be monitored.

Students have had mixed reactions to the new Wi-Fi system in the school. Some students, like junior Ninad Nirgudkar, are not happy with the fact that MCPS can view anything they do on the Internet and believe that it infringes on their privacy.

Nirgudkar “sees their rationale behind monitoring the sites that students are allowed to go to on the school network, but also [believes] that if [the school wants] to embrace the whole Bring Your Own Device policy then they need to give students more freedom on the Wi-Fi.” On the other hand, some students

like Sophomore Bowen Ren think that “the opportunity to use the school Wi-Fi outweighs the loss of privacy, especially since connecting to the Wi-Fi is not mandatory” and cites how Wi-Fi access is a useful addition to the school, despite its drawbacks.

There are also students in the middle who weigh the pros and cons of the WiFi, like Junior Tim Wang, who said that “the free Wi-Fi is really slow, but since the school provides it, I think they have every right to monitor what we do with their internet.”

Wang also pointed out how he sees “it just as an extension of our computer privileges. The school provides computers for us to use, but we have to abide by their restrictions.”

Beyond concerns about school supervision and possible slow speeds, another drawback of the new Wi-Fi system is that connected devices can be more easily infected with malicious spyware. Joining an open, public Wi-Fi network exponentially increases the chances of having password and information stolen from one’s devices.

Theoretically, anyone could join the school’s network and remotely install software on other devices through the school Wi-Fi network. As there is currently no way to prevent this beyond the installation of malware protection software, the major security threat must be addressed in the future, as the school WiFi system becomes more dependable and integrated.

Although the security of your information is probably not at all on your mind as you login to school computers or connect to the school Wi-Fi, the increasing popularity of malware like Reign still poses a worldwide threat that could be used to target anybody and anything.

The problem of malware and cyberterrorism is a growing one, and one that our generation may have no option but to fight.

RM’s spectacular selection of foreign languages

by Fatmata Barrie and Akanksha Girish Students at Richard Montgomery High School are fortunate to have the opportunity of taking any of four different languages at school: Latin, Chinese, French, or Spanish.

The community at Richard Montgomery fosters a sense of global awareness and helps students view the world with more open-mindedness.

However, debates over whether requiring students to learn languages during school is necessary are becoming more prominent. The Tide spoke to students and teachers involved in all four sections of the foreign language department about their opinions on taking a language at RM. French French teacher Derek Letourneau firmly believes in the importance of studying another language beyond one’s native language. “Even though English is the upswing at this point, it might not always be that way. Also, if you were to vist a place where the people don’t speak English or don’t have it as the primary language, you would be limiting yourself to what you know in a sense,” he said.

Mr. Letourneau also made the point that learning another language allows greater mobility in the future for students.

His reason for this is that “learning a second language allows you to think in new ways, which is a change to the hardware in your brain.”

Being exposed to different languages and cultures allows people from all different background to view others with greater acceptance. Senior and former French student Kaamiya Hargis said, “When I take French I do not just learn the language, I learn about the culture and history and how it can connect back to us.”

The matter of whether an effective method of teaching is being used is also addressed.

Mr. Letourneau said, “The most effective way of learning a language, however, is going out into the world and using it, and it is that using it that makes it the most valuable.”

Often times, this scenario is

GRAPHIC BY HANNAH SALEM

it can prove to be useful for a lifetime.

Spanish student and senior Aseem Peshwa said, “Spanish is one of the largest growing languages in the world, and by being able to understand it for five years now has

PHOTO BY RACHEL GOLD

French teacher Derek Letourneau value of a foreign language edu-

strongly believes in the cation for all students.

severely lacking in the classroom setting. Though teachers try their best to stop the use of English at the door of the classroom, students are always surrounded by English both before and after the bell.

allowed me to better understand the Spanishspeaking people and their culture.”

The language allows for common ground to be established both socially and culturally.

Mrs. Sloane does create a distinction between students who are learning foreign languages and native speakers. She is a strong supporter of the early immersion programs in elementary schools that allow students to be exposed sooner to a different culture so that they have more time to learn the language in a deeper sense.

Spanish Spanish teacher Nicole Sloane also agreed that learning another language at school is a vital experience for all students to have as they become more involved in the community around them. Mrs. Sloane said, “These programs should be available if people are interested in them.”

Spanish is a language whose global influence is widespread, and mastering

Chinese Chinese teacher Patricia Smith strongly believes in the necessities of learning a second language in order to be more informed citizens of the modern age.

She said, “This is a global world now, and technology is shrinking us to one world, so learning a second language is very important.” Mrs. Smith supports the immersion programs, but she was unsure about their policies. She said, “the big question is over how they are developed and what they are targeting.”

The growing prevalence of China in the western world creates an even greater need to learn the language. Chinese student and junior Drew Stern said of learning the language, “Chinese is helpful and useful because China is becoming a serious economic contributor to the world and dominates the areas of manufacturing. As such, learning Chinese makes it possible to tap into that well of future economic development.” The practical uses of knowing such a popular language are limitless.

Latin Latin teacher Marianne Pagos is a proponent of teaching reading-based languages in schools, especially a language like Latin.

When asked about the advantages of taking Latin, Mrs. Pagos said, “Through Latin, you learn about the ancient culture and the language.” Latin also helps improve students’ English.

Junior and Latin student Samuel Elmaani agreed. “Latin is an important language to learn because it’s helpful to have a background that gives me an advantage in things like writing,” he said.

Foreign language department head Maria Solernou reports that 68% of students at RM are enrolled in French, Spanish, Chinese, or Latin.

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December 2014

The Tide The 2014-2015 school year is off to a great start with respect to the clubs and sports at RM! Here are some of our most exciting clubs!

-Happy by Pharrell William -Dark Horse by Katy Perry ft Juicy J -All of Me by John Legend -Fancy by Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX -Counting Stars by OneRepublic -Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo ft 2 Chainz -Rude by MAGIC! -All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor -Problem by Ariana Grande ft Iggy Azalea -Stay With Me by Sam Smith

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards was held on January 26, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcasted by CBS and received by 28.5 million viewers.

This Grammy Awards was also the first to incorporate Live-GIF integration through Tumblr, contributing to the record-breaking level of social media interactions pertaining to the live broadcast.

by Grace Wang

After a wonderful kick off to the year, we remember the XXII Winter Olympic Games, held in Sochi, Russia from February 7 to 23. Over the course of the games, 88 Olympic counsels and nearly 2,800 athletes took part in 98 Winter Olympic events. Memorable moments include Adelina Sotnikova taking first in omen’s Figure Skating and Kaitlyn Farrington bringing home Gold for the Women’s Half-Pipe in Snowboarding.

by Will Green

On Saturday, March 8, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from air traffic radars. The disappearance prompted a worldwide search effort with ships and rescue resources from the international community, including the US, India, China, and Australia. However, the search teams were not able to obtain any cohesive evidence and to this day, the whereabouts of the plane and its passengers remain unknown.

by Ravi Kemburu

-Trivia Crack -Quizup -Threes -Tinder -Five Nights at Freddy’s -Kim Kardashian -Yik Yak -2 Cars -2048

-iPhone 6 -Galaxy S5 -iPad Air 2 -Apple Watch -Kindle Voyage -Lollipop for Android

-Divergent -Captain America 2 -Amazing Spider Man 2 -Maleficent -The Fault of our Stars -Guardians of the Galaxy -The Maze Runner -Interstellar -Big Hero 6 -Mockingjay Part 1

Hap new Rockets! A wraps to a take a moment the events of the p moving on to the nex the nation, and abroad, 2014 special.

One of the biggest ch the advent of our school princip as several new administrative Monteleone has established h Principal) and updates it with th

Students have kept academics and student-led activi of Richard Montgomery (HORM on Facebook. Based off the wid York page, HORM takes photos accompanied by an interesting in this year include Age Quod Agi Honor Society, and Books to G drive and collected a total of 733

On April 22 the Supreme Court ruled that states are free to prohibit the use of racial considerations in university admissions. The Court was heavily divided with strong opinions from justices on both sides of the issue. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that she believed the court’s conservatives attempted to “wish away” evidence of the nation’s racial inequality.

by Shelby Stevens

In May, two more states legalized same-sex marriage.

A federal district court judge in Oregon ruled that the state’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause in the constitution. In Pennsylvania, a judge also struck down the same-sex marriage ban, making it the eighteenth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

by Cindy

by Shelby Stevens

June marked the beginning of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, an event that sparked a newfound interest in soccer throughout the United States. After a beautiful opening win for the US, the World Cup quickly became the center of attention for many Americans. The World Cup held a high level of interest among new fans, with memorable games such as the 7-1 match between Germany and Brazil.

by David Zhang

A Yea

r

The Tide

December 2014

-Prom -Homecoming -Mr. RM -Treats for Troops -Canned Food Drive -Blood Drive -Toy Drive

Happy New Year!

2015

On July 17, a Malaysian Boeing 777 crashed in eastern Ukraine, resulting in the death of all 298 passengers and crew members. Evidence points to pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine as the cause of the tragedy. After the plane crashed, the separatists denied outside access to the bodies of the victims and crash site and suspiciously transported the bodies away in refrigerated train cars, leading the world to question the motives behind the attack.

by David Zhang

Your knowledgeable peers and upperclassman share their acquired wisdom from the years.

Ferguson Police Officer shot the unarmed teen Michael Brown on August 9, which set in motion weeks of unrest in the region. Protests against police brutality were launched across the United States and internationally. The shooting initiated nationwide discussions on topics of race and police brutality.

-Midi-Skirts -Mesh -High Socks -Printed Pants & Leggings -Riding Boots -Marled Sweaters -Pocket tees -Flower Crowns -Joggers -Crop Tops

by Jamie Gordy

On September 17, a referendum in Scotland offered residents the chance to separate from the UK and form an independent nation. Although early election polling suggested it the Yes Campaign had a slight edge, the No Campaign succeeded winning 55% of the vote. The vote to remain with Britain will likely have major effects on Scotland’s autonomy in future years.

by Jamie Gordy

-Ellen’s Oscar Selfie -Jimmy Fallon takes the Tonight Show -Kimye’s Magical Wedding -Scarlett Johansson: Baby and Secret Wedding -Kate Pregnant with Royal Baby #2 -Adam Levine’s Wedding -Colbert Report to End

ppy year, As 2014 close, we to remember past year before xt. All over RM, in , big occasions made

hanges at our school was pal, Mr. Monteleone, as well staff. As a hip principal, Mr. himself on Twitter (@RMHS_ he Student and Staff of the Day. the year strong with great ities. One new club is The Halls M), which now has over 580 likes dely-acclaimed Humans of New s of students in their daily lives, nterview. Some other new clubs is, the school’s National English Go, which recently ran a book 3 books.

Zeufack

in

w e i v e R

GRAPHICS BY CYNTHIA SONG AND NANCY JIANG

In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention diagnosed the first Ebola patient in the United States. Eric Duncan, who had returned from Liberia, remained in isolation for over a week before his death on October 8th. A healthcare worker who provided care for Duncan at Texas Presbyterian also tested Ebola positive, but recovered and was discharged on October 24. By the end of October, nearly 5,00 people have succumbed to the disease both in West Africa and abroad.

by Sindhu Iyer

This November 4 saw midterm elections, with the Republican party gaining majority in the Senate for the first time since 2007, largest House majority since 1946, and largest overall Congress since 1928. Meanwhile, in Maryland people turned their attention to the newly-elected governor Larry Hogan, Maryland’s first Republican governor since 2002. These outcomes might create conflict in both public and fiscal policy in the coming years.

by Sindhu Iyer

On December 3, a grand jury decided not to charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner. Eric Garner was arrested and taken down in a lethal chokehold by the officer in July on Staten Island. The grand jury’s decision sparked widespread outrage throughout the country, with protesters filling the streets and celebrities donning shirts, both promoting Eric Garner’s famous last words: “I Can’t Breathe”.

by Cindy Zeufack

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The Tide

LA MAREA

Diciembre del 2014

La Navidad: La alegría que siempre llena las celebraciones de hispanos por todo el mundo de Darian Garcia Cuando viene este tiempo de celebración y fiesta cada año, muchas amistades me preguntan: ¿Es diferente la navidad hispana que la de este país?

La respuesta es sí. Por primero, las celebraciones hispanas empiezan un día antes, en lo que se llama Nochebuena. La Nochebuena se celebra el 24 de diciembre, lo que en este país se llama “la víspera de navidad.”

Cada país hispano celebra esta noche un poco diferente, pero usualmente se come y baila mucho; con comidas latinoamericanas como los tamales, ponche caliente, nueces, frutas, turrones, flanes, lechón asado.

Como una vigilia, la familia entera espera hasta que venga la media noche para celebrar el nacimiento de Jesús, un hombre que nació hace más de 2.000 años y es la figura central en la religión y cultura hispana.

A esa hora vamos a añadir el bebe Jesús al nacimiento.

El nacimiento es una representación de los pastores, los Reyes Magos, José, María, Jesús y los ángeles. Es una manera concreta de enseñarles a los más pequeños de la casa

GRÁFICO DE VALENCIA FU

Muchos dan los regalos el 6 de enero, el día de los reyes magos. Es una celebración bastante importante para cristianos. sobre la historia de la primera navidad.

Para mi familia, a esa misma hora es cuando abrimos los regalos. O sea, el día de Navidad nunca era un día para abrir regalos, sino solamente para jugar con ellos.

Pero para otros, es un poco diferente.

Más de 50% hispanos, de acuerdo al Pew Research Center, se afilian con la religión católica. Hace unos 30 años, esa cifra era

Legislación ejecutivo da situación legal a millones de hispanos de Lisa Hernandez Con 11 millones de inmigrantes ilegales actualmente en los Estados Unidos, no es sorprendente que la inmigración sea un tema muy controvertido entre legisladores y ciudadanos.

Mucha de la controversia se deriva de la falta de bipartidismo en el gobierno, con la mayoría de republicanos oponiéndose a una reforma de ley que ayudaría a los inmigrantes.

Dicha ley está siendo apoyada por la mayoría de demócratas. Tras años de esperar un acuerdo sobre legislación entre ambos partidos políticos, el Presidente Obama anunció una acción ejecutiva este 20 de noviembre.

Sin embargo hay requisitos que cada inmigrante ilegal debe cumplir para poder beneficiarse de dicha acción ejecutiva.

Estos deben ser padre o madre de un ciudadano americano o un residente permanente, haber vivido permanentemente en los Estados Unidos durante por lo menos 5 años, haber pagado todos sus impuesto, y no tener antecedentes

GRÁFICO DE KELLEY LOU

Muchas protestas han ocurrido en favor de legislación que beneficia a los inmigrantes ilegales. Obama pasó una legislación ejecutiva el 20 de noviembre.

penales.

Todas las personas bajo estos grupos deben haber emigrado al país antes de enero de 2010 para poder ser tenidos en cuenta. Aunque todavía no hay muchos detalles sobre la futura ley, si se sabe que se deberá pagar por dicho proceso y por su renovación cada 3 años.

El Washington Post estima que 4 millones de los 11 millones de inmigrantes ilegales actualmente en los Estados Unidos se beneficiarían de esta ley. Los beneficios incluirían permisos de trabajo y suspensión de deportación a personas sin antecedentes penales.

Aparte de proteger a inmigrantes ilegales, la reforma también modificaría los procedimientos de detención ilegal, añadiría recursos para fortalecer la seguridad de las fronteras y crearía un programa para facilitar la adquisición de visas estudiantiles.

Debido a que el Presidente Obama decretaría esta ley bajo acción ejecutiva, muchos políticos piensan que esto sobrepasa la autoridad del presidente.

La acción del Presidente Obama ha causado controversia e inquietud entre algunos gobernadores, dando como resultado amenazas de acusación y demandas de parte del GOP (Grand Old Party).

En una entrevista reciente, Paul Ryan, un representante republicano de Wisconsin, dijo que la acción es “un acto de la anulación.”

A pesar de la oposición, millones de inmigrantes ven esta ley como una ayuda a su estatus legal y calidad de vida para sus familias. La reforma prevendrá que muchas de estas familias se separen a causa de deportaciones y les dará tranquilidad mental.

Nunca se debería olvidar que en el centro de este debate se encuentran millones de inmigrantes viviendo en las sombras, sin una identidad, con miedo y en busca de ese sueño: el sueño americano.

Como el Presidente dijo durante el anuncio de la acción ejecutiva, “[ya] pueden salir de las sombras y cumplir con la ley.”

más del 90%.

Muchos de estos celebran el día de los tres Reyes Magos, que es el 6 de enero.

Este día es en conmemoración de tres reyes que fueron a visitar al bebe Jesús, dándole regalos de oro, incienso y mirra. Esos regalos significan que Jesús vino a este mundo para ser rey, sacerdote y morir por los hombres.

Muchos van a la iglesia en este día y

en muchas iglesias entran reyes magos, algunos llegan caminando, otros a caballo, unos cuantos en camellos.

Por esta bella tradición de los reyes magos, muchos niños en decenas de países hispanos abren sus regalos en este día, en vez de el 24 o 25 de diciembre.

Pero antes de todas estas fiestas y festividades, muchos se preparan para estas cosas con algo que se llama las posadas. Los participantes van de casa a casa, como María y José, dos personajes de la biblia y padres de Jesús, para cantar canciones navideñas de alegría y amor a los que les abren la puerta.

Estas tradiciones hispanas que ocurren en estos meses de invierno son la esencia de las ideas y la cultura hispana. La navidad hispana es diferente por una razón, nos recuerda que lo importante de Navidad no son los regalos, sino compartir nuestra alegría y amor con familiares, amigos y aquellos más necesitados.

Es importante no dejar las tradiciones que todos llevamos muy arraigadas en nuestros corazones porque forman nuestra herencia y cultura hispana.

Es necesario continuarlas para que nuestros descendientes no se olviden de la alegría y amor que nos da nuestra cultura hispana.

La tecnología de hoy de Sara Garcia-Beech Los teléfonos móviles han traído una revolución social junto a la revolución tecnológica. Ya no se tiene que irse hasta la biblioteca y buscar por los estantes para la respuesta a una pregunta pequeña que tiene; una búsqueda rápida en un aparato que cabe en el bolsillo es suficiente.

Claro, también hay el otro lado de la tecnológica más negativo del que todos hemos oído hablar, de los daños que la tecnologia puede presentar a la sociedad y a los individuos.

Pero los teléfonos móviles también pueden tener efectos físicos malos más inmediatos de lo que pensamos, como una diminución de la cantidad de ejercicio que recibimos y un fenómeno que va por el nombre ‘text neck’.

Se ha demostrado muchísimas veces que las televisiones, los ordenadores, los videojuegos y los teléfonos móviles directamente afectan el nivel de ejercicio de que la gente, especialmente la gente joven, hace.

Para muchos niños, los videojuegos o la televisión les tientan más que irse al parque a jugar un partido de futbol con unos

sus poblaciones. No se puede culpar a los teléfonos móviles y las televisiones como las únicas causas de esta epidémica, pero sí son factores importantes en esta amenaza a la salud pública.

Un fenómeno más desconocido es el del ‘text neck’, o el cuello de texto. Tener la cabeza inclinada hacia abajo pone estrés en la espina, produciendo la degeneración de los tejidos musculares en el cuello. En casos extremos, se ha necesitado cirugía para reparar los músculos.

Según un reportaje publicado por Kenneth Hansraj en la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina, los usuarios de teléfonos móviles pasan una media de dos a cuatro horas mirando hacia abajo, y ese número solamente aumenta entre los adolescentes.

“A veces lo experimento después de haber mirado hacia abajo a mi teléfono para mucho tiempo, pero no pasa mucho y no me molesta demasiado,” dijo Nina Holtz, una junior.

“Además, músculos doloridos no son específicos al ‘text neck’, puedes causarlos por hacer cualquier cosa en un lado por un tiempo largo.”

En mi opinión, los teléfonos son como cualquier otra cosa; tienen aspectos beneficiosos y aspectos malos, como estos riesgos a la salud. El público debe ser

GRÁFICO DE GRACE SUN

amigos, y les resulta más fácil quedarse acostados en el sofá con su pantalla preferida.

Muchos países, como los Estados Unidos, han visto un crecimiento en el porcentaje de personas con obesidad en

consciente de estos riesgos y de las medidas que deben tomar para evitarlos.

Sin embargo, no se debe hacer más para limitar el acceso a la tecnología, porque los beneficios son numerosos y los riesgos se pueden limitar fácilmente.

The Tide

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December 2014

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The Tide

ARTS

December 2014

A year in retrospect: A tribute to 2014’s hottest art events

by Taylor Balfour and Rachel Li

history in the United Kingdom by getting on the Official Singles Chart Top 40 through online streams alone. The song has topped charts in other countries, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Trainor recently came out with a new song, “Lips are Moving,” and there is definitely more to be expected in 2015.

In 2006, at only 16 years old, Amethyst Amelia Kelly moved from Australia to the United States to pursue a career in hip-hop. The artist, better known Since the first Hunas Iggy Azalea, ger Games movie was released her dereleased in March 2012, but album, “The the series has been widely New Classic,” popular internationally. on April 21, On November 21, the third 2014. and next-to-last installIncluding hit ment of the Hunger Games singles such as series, “Mockingjay Part 1,” “Work” and “Fanwas released. cy,” the album quickly The film, which stars Jenrose to number three on nifer Lawrence as Katniss Everthe Billboard 200 chart. deen, had a worldwide opening Azalea has also collabo- GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG of $273.9 million, the 16th largest rated with other female of all time. The movie follows the hip-hop and pop stars. Her song “Fancy” extremely popular “Hunger Games” and featured British singer songwriter Charlie “Catching Fire.”

XCX and another song, “Black Widow,” The movie itself was filled with fastfeatured Rita Ora. Azalea was also featured paced action, concisely adapting the popuin Ariana Grande’s song, “Problem.” lar novel to the big screen. Senior Peter SzAzalea fell in love with hip-hop at werc said, “Some scenes in the book were the age of 11 and began rapping at 14. She not in the movie, but the movie dropped out of high school to save money does a good job capturing for the purpose of moving to America and the underlying emochasing her dream of becoming a rapper. tions.”

Sophomore Sally Simpson said, “She has Along with the a lot of confidence.” Keep an eye out for Hunger Games more top ten hits from her in the future. franchise, Lawrence has also Born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, starred in “XMeghan Trainor started writing songs Men: First Class” when she was only 11 years old. From then and “Silver Linon, she composed songs on her computer ings Playbook.” and attended summer music programs.

Sophomore IsTrainor finally found fame with her song abel Knudson said, “All About That Bass.”

“I love Jennifer LawThe song quickly reached number one rence; she is so amazon the Billboard 200 chart. The song made ing. I think that sometimes

in teen action movies, they use famous actresses and actors instead of focusing on talent, but I think Jennifer Lawrence is a genuinely good actress and I think she’s great for the role of Katniss.”

moment, and I like that in a movie.”

Eight years have passed since Taylor Swift first took the music industry by storm with the debut of her first studio album “Taylor Swift” in 2006.

The Fault in our Stars, Swift has released four published in January 2012, more studio albums is a young-adult novel writsince then. ten by John Green. The stoHer most recent alry, narrated by Hazel Grace bum, titled “1989” after Lancaster, follows the the year she was born in, 16-year-old cancer patient. was released on October She is forced by her 27. parents to attend a cancer It debuted at number support group, where she one on US Billboard 200 meets 17-year-old Augustus GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG and sold 1.3 million copWaters. The novel follows their ies in the first week, making unforgettable and touching love story.

“1989” the highest first sales week since The novel was made into a film and re- 2002. Swift is now the only artist to have leased in the United States on June 6. The three albums each sell one million copies in film starred Shailene Woodley as Hazel a week.

Grace Lancaster and Ansel Elgort as AuThe album was Swift’s own creation gustus Waters. It became number one at the and she stayed true to what she wanted. box office during its opening weekend and Sophomore Shelby Stevens said, “It’s an grossed over $300 million. amazing album. It’s incredible that it

Freshman Hannah San Sebastian sounds so different from anything she’s said, “I’m in love with the Fault in our Stars; done before, but it sounds remarkably like I read the book probably two or three years a Taylor Swift album.” ago. I think it’s really inspirational Known for having many boyand I think it teaches you to friends, Swift shows that she is always live in the aware of the public’s opinion of her, and that the criticism does not faze her with songs like “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space,” which mock those who call her crazy.

Swift has been named Billboard’s Woman of the Year. This is her second time being featured as the woman of the year; she was first featured in 2011. Swift has definitely left her mark on this music industry.

GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG

A cypher contest to rule them all

by John Lynch

GRAPHIC BY CYNTHIA SONG

Team Backpack is making a name for itself in the hip-hop industry, pulling in underground and independent rappers to perform official cyphers and spit their hottest 16 bars. With over 274,000 likes on its Facebook page, Team Backpack is gaining global recognition.

Independent hip-hop groups like Strange Music and Funk Volume have participated in the cyphers, helping the company expand. The cypher series has created a positive environment by bringing in big names like Hopsin and including smaller entertainers from around the globe to promote the underground hip-hop industry.

Junior Hayden Longest said, “It’s a nice thing to see underground hip-hop artists being promoted without the need for big music labels.”

However, it is not just the hip-hop industry, as Team Backpack includes originally produced beats by some amazing upand-coming DJs. The year is drawing to a close, and the Team Backpack cypher series is hosting its annual contest where fans vote for their favorite verses of 2014. Some of the best have come from artists like Emoney, Duckwrth, DymeADuzin, and Locksmith, but there were an underrated few that stood out.

One noteworthy artist is Futuristic, a new-age rapper who has recently been gaining popularity. Best known for his intelligence and humorous punchlines, the Arizona-based rapper is unique because of his connections to recent news.

In his verse for the cypher series, he jokes about Donald Sterling and Jay-Z, turning issues in the press into clever quips.

Junior Sidd Nayak stated, “Although his rhyming scheme is pretty simple on the surface, I think he shows quite a bit of potential.” Coining the phrase, “I Had to Do It,” Futuristic has a bright future ahead of him in the new age of hip-hop.

The new age of rappers might be starting to rise, but the veterans have not retired either, creating a blend of both new and

“It’s a nice thing to see underground hip-hop artists being promoted without the need for big music labels.”

- Hayden Longest old. Also joining in the Team Backpack cypher series is long time artist Murs.

His verse stood out not because of humor or punchlines, but because of its message. Murs does not want to be better than anybody else; he just wants people to know that hip-hop is an art form. Senior Emmanuel Porquin said, “Murs’ message really juxtaposes how radio rappers are producing their entertainment.”

Although Team Backpack has only been around for the last six years, it has gradually been gaining influence in the hip-hop music industry. Representing over 260 artists of every different style of hip-hop, Team Backpack effectively promotes the fact that underground hip-hop is a force to be reckoned with.

The Tide

ARTS

December 2014

17

‘Tis the season for classic holiday movies for all audiences

fun,” sophomore Helen Zhao said. stairs, all the while telling ourselves that it booby-traps, this transformation can only Though it may not necessarily be the is completely unrealistic. By the end, how- be called a Christmas miracle.

by Jessica Ji and Fonda Shen happiest holiday movie ever made, it is ever, we are totally convinced that an eight certainly the year-old with An American Tail Holiday movies are a quintessen- most Steven Spielberg’s animated masterunique. sufficient creativtial part of the holiday season. Whether Although the ity and guts can piece is a movie for any time, but especially watched alone or with family, these films movie does use take on a couple for Hanukkah. The tale of Jewish Russian encapsulate the spirit of the season that the classic savmice embarking upon their first days in of criminals. cannot be achieved through any other ing Christmas The movie America begins during the holiday in cat means. Although all holiday movies have trope, the inis not all laughs, (aka Communist) controlled Russia. “There their own merits, a marked few stand out novative use of however. “It’s a are no cats in America,” the father always as classics of the genre and mandatory two contrasting tearjerker if you tells his little mice. holiday activities. Make sure to get your holidays results Along the way, son Fievel is tragically think about it,” Christmas spirit on with our top choices for in a very resophomore Isa- separated from the rest of his family. Thus the best holiday films of the season. freshing take on bella Paternastro launches the journey of the little mouse to the traditional said. Once firmly find his family, a quest that includes murThe Nightmare Before Christmas holiday movie. convinced that derous cats (as it turns out, there ARE cats “‘Twas a long time ago, longer now that Even today, he hated his fam- in America) and evil roaches. it seems, in a place that perhaps you’ve over ten years Through his experiences, Fievel reily, Kevin is later seen in your dreams,” a voice narrates, after its release, shown holding a minds us how much family really means opening Tim Burton’s 1993 holiday film “The Nightpicture of them, as he refuses to let anything stop him from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” mare Before begging them to seeing his parents and siblings again.

Indeed, Burton creates a dreamlike Christmas” still Alone in America, Fievel picks up a come back.The GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG world for his unique characters to inhabit. remains an esvulnerability that couple of friends along the way, one of The result is a film that is both captivating sential, timeless classic the tough little guy shows pulls them a mouse and the other, astoundingly, to the eye and utterly engaging as a holiday for the holiday season. “It’s basically my on the heartstrings of the audience and eas- a cat. His friends’ fierce loyalty and kindmovie. ness are a reminder to the audience of how favorite holiday movie,” sophomore Erica ily garners their sympathy.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” Lin said, “I don’t think I can ever get sick much their own friends mean to One of the most prominent reasons revolves around the idea that each holi- of it.” them, especially around the why this movie is so loved is because it day has its own town. The main characholidays. incorporates relatable morals ter Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Home Alone Although animated feaand lessons that audiences Halloweentown, accidentally finds tures are usually regarded as “Home Alone” follows the story have personal experihimself in Christmastown and children’s films, “An of a pesky eight year-old, Kevin ence with. “The movie is immediately smitten with American Tail” is McCallister, as he is acci- really emphasizes the holiday. Led by Jack, also fascinating for dentally left behind by his how important it the citizens of Halloweenboth teenagers and family at Christmas when is to appreciate town plot to take over adults because of they travel to France. Not your family and the Christmas holidays the history the film particularly fond of his friends,” junior for themselves, complete weaves in. family, Kevin is thrilled Liyanga de Silva with grotesque presents “It is historically to be left alone – un- explained. and Jack himself as Santa accurate except the part til he overhears The parent Claus. where there are mice and that his house will who nags, the Part of what makes this they understand Engbe burgled. Home brother who movie so wonderful is the lish,” sophomore Thomas alone, he must fend for teases, and visual and musical appeal.

Hughes said. “Everything himself. the uncle who The entire film is done in GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG there is a metaphor for Part of the appeal of the always talks claymation, and the setting and something.” Though it is a film is that the audience too loudly all becharacters are haunting and strange. “The cannot help but root for Kevin as he takes come angels during social and political commentary, GRAPHIC BY NANCY JIANG animators have managed to create an entire on the bad guys. We laugh as the burglars the holiday season. Just the film is most of all one about world from scratch and the music is really get burnt, tarred, and thrown down the like Kevin’s ability to think up intricate family, hope, and friendship.

by Cindy Song and Syllia Newstead “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see,” French impressionist, Edgar Degas said. Senior Jemies Saratis was born to be on stage. Having performed in multiple drama productions and even directing a one-act play, Jemies has had extensive experience with the theatre world.

With her love for theater and music, she is sure to make others see her inspiring art. Whether it is through dancing, singing, acting, or playing an instrument, her talent is indeed portrayed for others to see.

Jemies is a person that people enjoy being around. “She’s really fun and she’s really on point.

She’s on top of her life, she knows what’s going on.

She’s really good at being in charge, especially in Accent, and knowing what she’s doing, and she’s also a really fun person,” junior Leslie Schneider said.

She knows how to interact with people in a positive manner but when it’s time for work, she gets down to it and does her best.

Jemies feels happiest when she is surrounded by the things she loves, which includes music, drama, and her friends in drama.

“It makes me happy because I get to work with people who are way more talented than me. It is cool to learn from them,” said Jemies. Even though she displays a fair amount of talent herself, she is always looking to learn from the people working with her.

One of her inspirations is her best friend, Leslie Schneider. Along with Schneider, Jemies is directing a one-act play, called “Thirteen Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview,” for her first time.

The comedy is about two interviewers who encounter thirteen “crazy” interviewees in their search for a suitable candidate for their college.

“I’m kind of nervous because I don’t know what I’m doing,” PHOTO BY NALANI BUI Jemies ad-

mitted, “but Leslie definitely does. She has way more on-stage experience than me.”

Jemies has also been an encouragement and inspiration to her friends as well.

“Well, she’s a senior and I’m a junior, so you know,” Schneider explained. “Also next year I’m going to be running Accent so I’m looking to her to see what I’m gonna be doing and learning the way I’m going to run it in the future”.

Jemies displays many skills which people admire her for. She is also able to balance a lot of work.

Jemies, just like any other person, has to worry about being a high school student and the extra-curricular activities that she takes part in, as well as being a teenager.

Onstage, many aspiring artists, even experienced ones, are taken hold of by stage fright. This common fear is an obstacle that Jemies faced in her performance career. With practice and the support of her friends, she overcame her fear and grew from it.

“Me and all of her friends were like, you have to do it, you’re gonna have so much fun if you do it!” Leslie recalled.

Jemies successfully auditioned for the show, taking a huge step forward and away from her fear. If any aspiring musician encounters stage fright, Jemies offered a piece of advice: “Don’t give up, because even if you’re scared, it plays off at the end.”

The opportunity she took by joining chorus led her to reach heights she never imagined to reach before.

Not only is Jemies involved with theatre, but she is also in charge of Accent, RM’s co-ed acappella group. “I’ve started seriously singing my freshmen year. I almost didn’t sign up for chorus. It was a last minute thing, but I’m really thankful I joined because it introduced me to drama and Accent,” Jemies said. “I love listening and playing music, especially if it’s in my vocal range...I just love singing.”

Singing is something that Jemies is awed by. Whether she is singing for a club, class, or just for fun with friends, she has

fun with it.

RM’s art department plays a huge part in helping Jemies to continue her hobby.

Chorus teacher Ronald Frezzo and orchestra teacher Peter Perry have put in much effort to make sure the art department at RM is spectacular.

“Mr. Frezzo is a soul. He is amazing.

Also Dr. Perry runs an amazing band,” Jemies said. She encourages all incoming students at RM to join chorus, or at least participate in an art, “unless you hate be-

PHOTO BY NANCY JIN

Senior Jemies plays a tune on the piano. ing creative.”

Others instruments that Jemies has played are ukulele, flute, guitar, and piano, which adds to her multi-talented personality.

She has been playing piano since she was four, and has had an interest in music ever since. This taste for music will only continue to grow stronger in her.

Needless to say, Jemies is an inspiration to the people around her and is open to being inspired from others as well. She will carry her passion for music and theater with her wherever she goes, and she is willing to let others see the art she has created.

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The Tide

FEATURES

December 2014

RM’s music is nurtured by Mr. Perry and Mr. Frezzo

by Grace Sun and Katherine Wang Do you hear the merry sound of Christmas bells yet? Or the voices of choir members singing jolly songs? With so much holiday spirit, a cheery and celebratory atmosphere fills the cold winter air along with the melodies of some classic jolly good holiday sing song!

The RM music program is bringing the gift of song with their winter concerts for chorus, band, and orchestra. “It’s right around Christmas time, holiday time.

Everyone wants to hear a little music!” said music teacher Ronald Frezzo, who heads the program along with Dr. Peter Perry.

Each section of the music department gives their own unique gift: December 4th was the Swing and String Showcase, while December 11th was the Winter Band Showcase. Students got the opportunity to exhibit their talents and hard work through a variety of pieces. December 18th will be the Choral Concert, so go and watch a splendid performance if you have time!

The winter concerts are also a way for the students to close the first semester of their courses in the music program, sometimes deemed the “breath and death” program. With courses like IB Advanced

Music, AP Music Theory, Chorus, and Orchestra, RM offers a diverse range of classes for every kind of student: the performers, the students considering music for college or careers and the students who just want to play, sing, and enjoy. The instrumental program includes classes for different skill levels, as well as guitar and piano classes.

But first of all, some people might wonder what the music program actually encompasses. “Maybe its the Beauty and the Beast cast or maybe its those who take music classes?” guessed sophomore Bowen Ren. “It’s a group of passionate students who learn and practice music with the teacher,” guessed sophomore Eric Tao. The program does focus on music, but also integrates other educational concepts into their interdisciplinary classes. Students get to explore the cultures and backgrounds of the music they perform. “We don’t just make music,” said Mr. Frezzo, about his choral classes, “We make it with the purpose of teaching students about things like language arts or foreign cultures when we sing pieces in Hebrew or Italian or Russian. It’s not just about teaching them how to sing and sound good.”

Dr. Perry’s orchestral classes teach students not only just how to play their instruments, but also to work together

PHOTO BY SYLLIA NEWSTEAD

Mr. Perry leads the orchestra in a performance for the school community during lunch.

PHOTO BY SYLLIA NEWSTEAD

Esteemed Mr. Perry and Mr. Frezzo head the band and choral programs, respectively. and play in harmony. “Being part of the develop the fantastic music. “Mrs. Davis orchestra has created opportunities for me was the overall director, I taught the kids to make new friends. Music makes a special the vocal parts then I turned them over to bond between people,” said freshman Jack Dr. Perry,” explains Mr. Frezzo.

Liang. The relationships that have woven The teachers’ hard work does not together through music are connections go unappreciated as students give their that help students learn, thrive, and have thanks. Sophomore Camilo Gonzalezfun. “You get to build those skill sets about Sol said, “Mr. Frezzo is so devoted to the working in an ensemble, how to work music programs in RM and makes a point together and collaborate, to create a positive to connect with each student.” Dr. Perry is product that everybody contributes to and just as devoted: “He takes joy in creating also gets the benefits from,” said Dr. Perry. quality music and works hard to achieve The variety of events that involve that cohesive, everyone-doing-their-part playing instruments or singing in the performance,” said Gonzalez-Sol. chorus also allow students to experience The combination of fantastic teachers performing and entertaining an actual and high quality education sets the music audience. “The music program gave me program as one of Richard Montgomery’s opportunities to broaden my horizon...we pride and joy. “Everytime we go out there also are able to gain knowledge about our and perform, we represent the school instruments and apply it to out of school around the county and the state,” said programs such as All State and MCYO,” Dr. Perry. Senior Ellie Sherman agrees said junior Meghan Hu. that the program has definitely benefitted Furthermore, the music program finds the school and its students. “As one of the ways for students who cannot fit music members of the chorus, I can say that it is courses in their schedule to participate in one of the best programs at our school,” musical groups such as the lunch choir said Sherman. and after school clubs. I am sure you have What more can we ask from this heard of the incredible Black Maskers led incredible program?

Support your by former English teacher Emily Davis, fellow peers at their future concerts and who recently produced the record breaking performances! After all, according to Dr. musical Beauty and the Beast, in which Peter Perry, “everyone wants to hear a little Mr. Frezzo and Dr. Perry worked to help music!”

Darklux Club brings creative energy to RMBC ads

by Donye Keesee and Michael Khizgilov There is a new up and rising club here at Richard Montgomery. You see the product of their hard work and dedication every morning whether you realize it or not.

Every day, at 8:10am, RMBC broadcasts to your first period classroom, and after the friendly good morning smiles of our RMBC news anchors, routine pledge of allegiance, weather forecast, and the occasional sports shout out, we get to our favorite part of RMBC—those awesome, exciting RMBC ads!

They catch our attention with fresh, funky music and eye catching displays.

They are not just black and white slides, with boring, easy-to-look-past statements.

They are creative, visual masterpieces that pump us Rockets up for pep rallies, homecoming, spirit week, and so much more.

They bring us information on new clubs and new opportunities, creating ads so persuasive that even the most introvert student would find themselves engaging in one of the various extracurricular activities that gets showcased by the talents of Richard Montgomery’s’ very own video production club, Darklux!

This fabulous club is run by seniors Ivana Wakidi and Tomi Sontan, who, along with seniors Alyssa Achacoso and Kelley Lou, tell us the story of how Darklux came to be, which goes as follows: “around springtime, a couple of friends sit down and talk about how there aren’t any photography and film clubs at their school. In reaction to this, ideas were refined, values

were developed, form was built, and Darklux was born.”

Now, Darklux is beyond their original size of “a couple of friends”. With over eighty members, the club is rich in students who truly enjoy the art of film and pho-

roles, we are open to experimenting with any other forms of media and allow our members to be fluid whenever they see fit, in order to discover and explore their interests.”

And as their visually-driven marketing

PHOTO BY IVANA WAKIDI

Darklux members take out of school trips for optimum backdrops to put in video ads. tography, expressing new ideas by visual means, and tackling new projects to better the RM community one video at a time.”

When asked about the Darklux community, the four members replied, “[We are] so lucky to have [all of the Darklux members] as part of our team! Since accessibility is important to us, we are open to anyone who wishes to join or be part of our club. Every member has a role.

We have a public relations and social media team, a business team, photographers, and filmmakers. Aside from those

team grows, they feel grateful and extremely fortunate to be recognized and acknowledged by the Richard Montgomery community. Ironically enough, while their sole purpose is to provide connection between individuals and organizations, the Darklux team feels as though they have increased their own personal connections to one another and with the school community.

When asked about what exactly inspires the club, the answer was, “We are inspired by people. The way they create; and connect in accordance to this ever-

changing world. We are especially inspired by creative people and their drive to make something and to share it with the world.

It’s inspiring to see people who are bold and passionate enough to be vulnerable and share their ideas.”

Darklux has worked with a variety of clubs, including Fine Lines, RM SGA, and RM’s administrative department. The four members tell us, “Most, if not all, coffeehouse commercials for Fine Lines are created by Darklux members. Recently, we have also collaborated with RM SGA to create videos to promote school events.”

And being a relatively new club to RM, of course, there is bound to be rough patches. The members tell us creating a system for receiving project requests in a fluent manner is somewhat difficult. The Darklux members tell us, “…receiving project requests for videos, photos, or any other media, learning more about these projects and organizations, and delegating the work amongst our team has definitely been a challenge.”

But they find a way to get past it, and show the optimism and creative works that molded the club into the fine family of artistic geniuses they are today, adding on, “However, we have come to accept that it’s okay to test out different approaches to the system. We learn from trial and error and go with what works best.”

Whether they face challenges or not and whether they know it or not-- it is evident that they are great at what they do. They go above and beyond, keeping all of RM on their toes, always wondering, “Wow, who made that video?”

The Tide

by Akanksha Girish and Cathleen Kong Imagine a pile of beautifully wrapped gifts waiting for you underneath the tree on Christmas morning. The laughter and mirth fill the room with Christmas cheer as families gather together to open presents and revel in the holiday spirit.

One of the main goals of Christmas is to foster and spread a nature of giving gifts and generosity. As much fun as it is to receive gifts, it is an even more commendable and joyous occasion to give gifts to loved ones, friends, and family.

We all know the struggles of trying to find the perfect gift for that special someone or trying to find a gift that your family will cherish for more Christmases to come. Small or large, handmade or storebought, gifts of all ranges will certainly make an appearance this holiday season.

So it is time to stay calm this season and don your mittens and coats as you try and track down a magnificent and heartfelt gift for the holidays.

This year, we encourage you to spread the merriment of Christmas time by showing those you love that you appreciate them. Gifts do not necessarily have to be the most expensive and grand item that money can buy for sometimes the most simple, yet endearing presents are remembered and cherished the most.

So join the RM community as they hunt for the perfect gifts for those special people in their lives! This holiday season, it is important not to forget your teachers as you browse for gifts.

Junior Zulekha Mohammed said, “I plan to give my teachers Starbucks gift cards

FEATURES for the sole reason that everyone loves as you shop for gifts this year.

Starbucks and it is a great way to start a Junior Julian Avenilla said, “My younger busy day at school for students and teachers sister is growing up so she is getting more alike.” As students, we can definitely relate into style now. So, I think I will take her to Mohammed’s thinking! shopping. For my mother, I plan to Going along with the idea of food, buy her gloves so that she can Freshman Tran Nguyen said that she will walk comfortably in the winter be giving chocolate time.” to her teachers this Sophomore Evelina year. Then, teachers Papathanasiou thought can snack on the around the same lines, she treats throughout said, “For my brother I will their hectic buy him a soccer ball because workdays.

I know that he wants a new Spending time one.” Other items you with family is a could give your family must-do every members are books, mugs, holiday season, so or electronics! it is important to Teachers have also given give some thought wise thoughts on finding gifts to what you will get your parents for their families. and siblings.

Art teacher Katherine Stanton said, Senior Emma Paulines said, “This “For my son, I want to give him year I’m planning to give maybe something that my parents a picture has to do with frame of scraps Elmo, or numbers. from pictures of There is actually the whole family a tot swap at because this year the fairgrounds marks their 25th which is a great anniversary.

I place to get want to give them presents for the something that little ones. For reminds them my older family of what keeps members, I want them together.” to give them an Paulines’ gift experience, like to her parents is a Pilates class wonderful for the or mountain holidays because climbing or a GRAPHICS BY CYNTHIA SONG it is something pottery class, that handmade that she has put a they will cherish and lot of time and effort into creating. remember.” Gifts do not always have to be Getting your family tools and appliances something tangible, because experiences, to make their lives easier will always be like Mrs. Stanton said, are great ways to appreciated. Junior Audra Jacobs said, “I make memories and be creative. will probably get some sort of appliance or Many students this year are giving out something useful for my family.” handmade gifts. Making your own gifts can It is also important to keep in mind the not only save you from breaking your bank specific interests of your family members this season, but it also shows the amount of

December 2014

19

effort you have put into your present.

Sophomore Hannah Greco said, “I love including little inside jokes between me and my friends because no one else gets them but they’re hilarious to us.” This year, she will be making cards and baking lots of cookies to give out to her friends.

Senior Isha Kathuria said, “Gifts based on memories or inside jokes are meaningful because they are personalized and the people receiving them know I put in effort and will remember our friendships when we are apart next year.”

These gifts not only reminisce memories from the past, but they can create new memories as well! Customizing gifts, like phone cases, pencil pouches, or key chain accessories, add a touch of creativity during the holidays.

Senior Matthew Sherman said, “This year I’m planning on giving my friends funny t-shirts that fit their personality.”

Customized t-shirts are definitely great to commemorating lasting friendships.

Christmas time is a prime opportunity for couples to show how much they care for their significant others and showcase their affection. Some fellow RM students have shared thoughts about their presents: ”For my girlfriend, I will plan something nice, like maybe an event like ice skating or a dinner!” ”I will probably get my girlfriend jewelry.” ”My boyfriend likes science so I am pre-ordering him a book called ‘ASAP Science.’” And a classic favorite, “Lots of surprises!” “A warm and cozy sweater and macarons” If your mind is still stuck about what to get for your friends, stick to the classics!

Baked goods, cards, or simply cash can spread the holiday spirit. Gifts given with heart are sure to convey the seasonal spirit regardless!

IB seniors visit Museum of Modern Art in New York

by Rachel Gold and Catherine Wang Where many would see a blank white canvas, the seniors of RM’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program have learned to see something more: art. On December 12, over 120 IB seniors visited New York City’s renowned Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), home to pieces that provoke reactions ranging from head-scratching to awe -- and above all, raise questions about what it means to be art.

It takes only a few minutes at MoMA to realize that “art” is far from easy to define.

The IB seniors had spent weeks in their Theory of Knowledge classes evaluating “the artistic value” of pieces such as Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” which, at face value, is a porcelain urinal laid flat on the ground. As the culmination of their weekslong study, itself a culmination of three semesters of the Theory of Knowledge

course, the seniors set off to New York test their definitions of art against the fragmented collages of Picasso and the splatter-painted murals of Jackson Pollock.

The result? More questions to ponder on the bus ride home.

Not surprisingly, getting the opportunity to leave school to visit New York City and see some of the the history’s most innovative pieces of art engendered much excitement amongst the students. Senior Moraa Marwanga said, “I was really excited because the trip gave us a unique opportunity to explore the city and to see and analyze the amazing art at MoMA.” Even students who admitted that they did not typically enjoy modern art expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to take a trip outside their comfort zones.

Senior Jessica Kang said, “Although I’m not traditionally a fan of modern art, I knew that several of the exhibits I would see would challenge the way I think and allow me to see art, and the world, from a

PHOTO BY CATHERINE WANG

Gazing into the artwork, senior Hannah Salem discovers more about art and herself.

PHOTO BY RACHEL GOLD

Seniors Yasmin Graham and Moraa Marwanga look at artwork placed on the ceiling. just how much work there is to be done, different perspective.”

The trip, however, was about more than saying, “The state and county have many the modern art. Senior Hannah Salem said, paperwork requirements, so for example “this trip kind of felt like the culmination first of all one has to ensure that one gets of the IB senior experience -- and it was the date at MoMA...and then you have to especially intense because some of my secure a [busing] company and...apply to friends got their college results around have the field trip, telling them where we the same time.” For both students and are going, how many kids are going, how teachers, the day passed as an exciting blur many students, rather, are going, what the of sightseeing on the city streets and movie price is going to be, the date, etc.” But as watching on the long bus rides, intermixed the seniors discussed in TOK, time and with mind-boggling art evaluation and effort are important criteria for any artfully designed trip. stress-inducing college letters.

The amount of planning involved with Since the trip is of such great importance to the students, an immense amount of effort the trip is clearly an enormous commitment, went into every logistic. Coordinating the but according to Mr. Thomas, the benefits busing, the chaperones, and the permission of the trip make it completely worthwhile. forms was no easy feat, but in the end, the He said that his favorite part of the day was details came together as seamlessly as the “getting students to really ruminate about colorful shapes of Henri Matisse’s cut-out the art that they saw, interpret the art that patterns. The trip had previously been they saw, and deal with some of the serious organized by former social studies teacher epistemological issues from the Theory of Daniel Evans; following Evans’ retirement, Knowledge [course] such as necessary and social studies teacher Robert Thomas took sufficient conditions to determine what is art and the threshold conditions for the reigns.

When asked about the steps that needed that kind of thing, and using the different to be taken in order to plan the trip, Mr. standards that we discussed. Hearing their Thomas gave an extensive explanation of ideas is fascinating.”

20 The Tide

FEATURES

December 2014

Quirky traditions celebrated by RM community

by Irene Park

Close your eyes for a second and imagine the perfect holiday season -- what do you see? For Christmas, you most likely thought of a big juicy turkey, a tree adorned with lights and ornaments, and a large family laughing around the dining table. Hanukkah would probably evoke a vision of latkes, dreidels, and menorahs.

In addition to these two very common winter holidays, Richard Montgomery’s diverse body of students and staff celebrate holidays such as Kwanzaa, New Year’s, and many more. There is also a selection of the student body that does not observe any of these winter holidays, or any holidays at all.

Regardless of what you personally believe in, it is always very interesting (and sometimes even enlightening!) to learn what kinds of traditions the people you see on a day-today basis enjoy during the holiday season.

Among the plethora of Richard Montgomery students with some pretty funky holiday traditions is freshman Alisa Gao. Unlike the majority of American families that will spend hours cooking a turkey for Christmas, Gao’s family prefers to “do it the Chinese way and eat noodles.” Maybe this seems a little out of the ordinary, but Gao’s noodles would add a lot to any holiday table -- not only do noodles save time and energy during the busy days of preparation for Christmas,

but it is also a tasty alternative to your classic 15-pound bird!

Sophomore Sophie Wan also strays away from the cliché Christmas dinners.

Instead, her family’s table features a duck stuffed with rice during the holiday season. Freshman Charlotte Hirsch does not celebrate Christmas with a turkey, either. Instead, her family prepares a large Swedish meal called a Smörgåsbord, which includes cheeses, herring, meatballs, fruit soup, and rice pudding.

Each year, an almond is placed into the rice pudding, and whichever family member finds the almond in his or her bowl will be awarded the prestigious honor of being the first to open Christmas p r e s e n t s .

However, in a frenzy to unwrap their gifts, H i r s c h says that “everyone always fakes having the almond so that they can be first.” She also celebrates Hanukkah in addition to Christmas, as her father is Jewish and her mother is irreligious.

Similarly, freshman Anya Weiss is a blend of several different cultures, resulting in her celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Unfortunately, she claims that she does not have any abnormal traditions for any of the three holidays, aside from her passion for wearing “ugly sweaters during the holiday season.”

Though Weiss will be very dressed up this winter in her sweaters, sophomore Neil Duggal’s Christmas tree will be bare as bones. Every year, a Christmas tree is

set up like normal in his home, but without any ornaments to divvy it up. Whether it be plain glass spheres, school pictures of children over the years, or Christmas figurines, ornaments are, without a doubt, one of your Christmas essentials. Except, of course, in the Duggal household.

Freshman Rosie Silvers also takes the winter holidays to a new level for her annual

neighborhood New Year’s celebration called the “Tacky Gift Exchange”-just by hearing the name, it is already clear that this is not exactly a common practice. Each person on the block purchases a “tacky gift”, such as “crazy green neon lamps with beads” or “books about toilets from around the world.” The presents are then wrapped, collected, and placed out for another person to choose and take home, so that everyone ends up with a tacky gift to start the new year.

Richard Montgomery students are not the only ones who engage in funky holiday traditions on a yearly basis; our staff also harbor some traditions that are just as strange, or maybe even stranger.

Science teacher Marla Rudnick makes snowflakes as crafts every year -“scientifically correct” snowflakes, that is. As a science teacher, she believes that six-sided snowflakes are the only kinds of snowflakes that are societally acceptable.

After creating these snowflakes, Mrs. Rudnick and her family proceed to put

them in the windows, hopefully to serve as a predictor of future weather. “We hang them up in the windows and hope it’ll snow,” she says. After all, we all wish for the rare but beautiful White Christmases.

Gym teacher Jon Freda also has a very interesting Christmas tradition which has, as of now, b e e n going on for about 10 years.

“This isn’t e x a c t l y funky, but NG SO it’s nice,” A HI he says.

T N CY But he is Y B wrong in this CS HI P A statement; it is GR not just “nice,” it is very nice.

You have probably seen those firetruck Santas riding loudly around the neighborhood with their sirens on full blast and festive lights covering the truck from top to bottom.

Well, Mr. Freda’s father is that Santa Claus of McLean, and every year, Mr. Freda goes down to visit him in Virginia.

On Christmas morning, his father puts on his Santa costume, and together, they drive to Washington D.C., where they distribute bags of food or gifts to the homeless. As Mr. Freda notes, their reactions are priceless.

Clearly, December is a month filled with light, laughter, family, and traditions-whether classic or absolutely abnormal!

This Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, any other holiday, or some combination of the four, sit down, relax, and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year prior to the start of semester exams.

It only comes once every 365 days!

projects to brighten the season Materials: wire hanger, a lot of clothespins (50+), green acrylic or spray paint, red beads, paintbrush, glue gun, little bows and decorations to put on at the end.

by Victoria Priester Materials: plain or sparkly ornaments, old CDs, hot glue gun, ribbon or yarn, scissors 1. Cut the CDs into small pieces of different shapes. You will need very sharp scissors for this, but do not get too attached or use your mom’s best scissors - they may get dulled out during this process. Tip: Cut up multiple CDs before you begin gluing.

2. Using a hot glue gun (regular liquid glue may work, but it has not been attempted), attach the CD pieces to the ornament. Tip: To keep the ornament from rolling around while you are gluing, try propping it on top of a cup.

3. When the ornament is completely covered, string a piece of yarn or ribbon about ten inches long through the top, and tie the ends together.

4. Repeat until you reach the desired amount of ornaments, and hang them on your tree or around your house to jazz up your holiday decor.

CD ORNAMENTS

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PRIESTER

A finished sample ornament made of CDs

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PRIESTER

Bottlecap snowman ready to be decorated

Bottlecap snowMEN Materials: Different sized bottle caps (metal ones like from IZZEs or old fashioned sodas), ribbon, white, black, orange and red acrylic paint, paint brushes, hot glue gun, buttons, scissors.

1. Paint the insides of your bottlecaps white.

2. Using a small detail brush, paint the face and buttons of the snowman onto three bottlecaps, making sure they are increasing in size.

3. Once the paint is dry, glue the bottlecaps onto a piece of ribbon. Do not cut the piece of ribbon off until you can judge how much of it you will need. You will need room at the top to make a loop to hang it. Tip: Glue the bottlecaps together once they are on the ribbon as well.

4. Once you cut the ribbon, fold the top of the ribbon under itself, and hot glue the end of the ribbon to the back of the ornaments to make a loop.

5. Hang the ornaments on your tree or on hooks around your house.

1. Paint all of your clothespins green.

Depending on where you hang it, you may want to paint both sides.

2. While the clothespins are drying, bend your wire hanger into a circular shape. This will be the skeleton for your wreath.

3. Once your clothespins are dry, start on one end and begin clipping them onto the wire, alternating with the red beads. Make sure the ends of the clothespins that you clip things on are facing outward.

Tip: Hot glue the beads and pins to each other, once they are on the wire, to keep them from sliding 4. Glue a bow to the top, and any other decorations you want on it.

5. Hang your wreath on a hook somewhere in your house, and clip pictures or holiday cards to it to display in your house.

CLOTHESPIN WREATHS

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PRIESTER

Use hot glue to attach clothespins to hanger

PHOTO BY VICTORIA PRIESTER

Place desired figurines into the snowglobe

Snowglobes

Materials: Mason or glass jar with lid, clear packing tape, scissors, hot glue gun, glycerin, white glitter, tiny ornaments than fit inside such as a mini eiffel tower.

1. Print out the picture(s) that you want to put in your snowglobe. Tip: Print them to a size that will still allow room for your object.

2. Cut out the figures you want to put in the snowglobe.

3. Put a piece of packing tape on both sides of the picture, and cut off the excess tape, which will protect the picture in the water.

Tip: Make sure there are no air bubbles between the pieces of tape, or water will get in and ruin the picture.

4. Hot glue your plastic object and your taped picture to the inside of the jar lid.

5. Fill the jar with water. Add in a few drops of glyercin, and pour in glitter.

6. Making sure all of the pieces are secured to the lid, screw the lid onto the jar.

7. Turn upside down, and watch the snow fall on your little winter wonderland!

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December 2014

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SPORTS

The Tide

December 2014

Frank Perretti discusses his referee experience

by Kevin Pan “We are blind, we are deaf, that’s why we want to be a ref.” “Check your voicemail, you missed a couple calls.” These are just two of the many chants students yell at a basketball game. No matter what a basketball referee does, there is always somebody against him. The coaches, crowd, and players always seem to criticize him.

So why does a referee stay with their job? What motivates them to continue officiating every game? How do they handle all the negativity? Most importantly, what is it like to be a basketball referee?

To find the answers to these questions, I met with Frank Perretti, a basketball official in MCPS for over 10 years.

“It’s a great way to stay in the game you love,” Perretti describes it, “It’s a great way to have fun and make a little bit of money.” Like all the other referees, he himself is a former player of the game.

Perretti, a New York City native, describes how he first got into basketball at the age of eight. He continued to play basketball, mostly as a point guard, all the way up through high school.

Being a referee was not something Perretti had planned on, however. In fact, he states that he didn’t start officiating until he was a little more than 30 years old. It all happened when his friend offered him a job as a summer league official. “Looking back on it, I had no clue what I was doing,” Perretti

recalls his first game he officiated, “I hadn’t gone through formal training yet.”

This changed soon afterwards as Perretti began formal training after the summer ended. But he was still a long way from officiating high school games.

In order to become certified, he had to first sit in a classroom. It was there that Perretti learned all there was to be known of the game of basketball. This not only included the rules of the game, but also where he was supposed to be on the court at certain times.

After passing a written test, Perretti then advanced to on-court training. He began by watching other referees and slowly started moving up. “Once they feel you’re ready, they start putting you into rec ball and scrimmages,” he says. “From there, you’ll start doing lower level games like middle school, before you move to high school.”

On average it takes a referee about two to three years to officiate a varsity game. He added that “if you’re not doing a JV [game] within two years then you’re probably not going to be refereeing too long.”

After a few years of on-court training, Perretti began officiating varsity games.

Although he doesn’t remember that much of his first varsity game, he does remember his first major basketball game, a Catholic school rivalry with a large crowd, “a pretty big game for a ref,” as Perretti describes it.

Like everyone else, Perretti is not perfect either.

Although he cannot remember how many, he admitted that he has made bad calls before in his career. “If you made a mistake such as pointing the wrong way,

"Check your voicemail, you missed a few calls!"

you quickly correct it” he says, “but if you make a call such as a foul, you can’t change it, you just move on and focus on the game.”

Bad call or not, there are always negative comments being directed towards the referee. Perretti says that this does not bother him since it is not his job to pay attention to the crowd.

He goes on to elaborate “I think that an organized c h a n t that’s not disrespectful is fine, one I’ve heard that I don’t mind is ‘You need glasses.’ ” Just like bad calls can happen, so do temper flare-ups. Perretti described how he has ejected players for throwing punches or other physical altercations. In a few instances, he has also been forced to eject coaches, but only after the coaches had received two direct technical fouls.

In addition to all this, referees still have many more responsibilities. Although on the outside, it appears that all the referees do is make calls and watch the game, it is not that simple. Not only does a referee need to be in good physical condition, the job is also very mentally challenging.

“You’re making decisions at a fast pace and the higher the levels of competition, the more athletic and faster the game is.

You have to be making sure you’re in the proper position, you have to be looking at the proper areas and match ups in order to get the calls correct quickly,” Perretti said.

According to him, officiating basketball is also harder than officiating other

sports. “I referee baseball, basketball, and football,” he says, “and basketball is definitely the hardest without doubt.”

Other responsibilities of referees include making sure players adhere to proper uniform attire, understanding what’s happening at the scoring table, and communicating with the scoring table.

Perretti stated, “You want to make sure the game is officiated properly.”

The referee’s job starts earlier than most other people.

Before every game, referees have to make sure the court is proper by checking that the players are properly equipped and that the “scoreboard, scorekeeper, and official bookkeeper are all in place before the game starts.”

Perretti said that the referees usually have a pregame meeting, usually to discuss how the game will run. Most of the time, this helps clear up any confusion as to where the one referee will be in accordance with the others, preventing events such as double whistles where two referees both make a call at the same time. In the event that this happens, referees will either get together to discuss or simply motion for the other to make the call.

Throughout his life, Frank Perretti has officiated for over 1000 hours. He says that his only regret is he did not start sooner. “Knowing what I know now, I would’ve loved to referee in my 20’s just to see how far I could’ve gone.”

At the end of the day however, Perretti says that he just “enjoys playing such an important role in the game that he loves.”

“We are blind, we are deaf, that’s why we want to be a ref!”

Indoor track runs over icy terrain toward victory

by Neil Duggal and Zack Khan The winter track team is already up and running, with no signs of slowing down. Despite the brutal winter weather, the team is putting every drop of their effort into their training as they race across the icy track of RM. Coach Rogers and Coach Freda are currently leading their 70-member team through the rigorous season. The season, which consists of roughly ten track meets, features events such as the 55m dash, 300m, 500m, 800m, mile, and two-mile races.

Runners focus on either sprinting or long distance events, and there is a great amount of flexibility with competitions, with events ranging from hurtling to shot put, a break from traditional individual racing.

“There is a misperception that track coaches just go out and tell their teams to go run. It’s more than that,” Rogers emphasized. Rogers has the responsibility to make that sure that his team is well disciplined, physically and mentally strong. Coach Rogers and Freda in turn have developed a whole schedule of training for their team to go through, from preseason to the state championship.

Rogers’s philosophy in training is simple: “Everyone needs to build strength.” So naturally, one of the first thing Coach Rogers did at practice was assign time slots for people to use the weight room. With the preseason over and the season in full throttle, everyone needs to pull their own weight.

Upperclassmen like Norman Gray have learned to appreciate practice a lot more. “I take workouts more seriously,” Gray responded when asked what he

has learned from freshman year. “I don’t under or overestimate anyone, I am confident in myself,” Gray continue.

His teammate Emmanuel Porquin later added, “We do three times in the weight room and daily outside running every week.” This strenuous workout plan seems harsh for events that may last only 55 meters, but are necessary to excel in a county that is highly competitive in track.

can’t even stand, or feel [his] legs… [They’re] working extra hard to be successful.”

The team has really learned to appreciate and gain from practices. “We all suffer together,” junior Sophie El-Masry joked.

So how does the meet get through the rigorous season of suffering? According to El-Masry and senior Sephora Grey, their spectacular teammates push them forward.

The girls commented that although they

PHOTO BY CONNIE CHEN

The track team warms-up in the cold weather, preparing for another state title run.

“The team has a much more competitive know they have a responsibility to push attitude,” said junior Nate Gillman. A themselves, it is easier when they have significant amount of cuts was made good friends around to motivate them.

The girls and boys of team have built during tryouts this season, as the team had roughly 120 members last winter. a bond on and off the track that has With a significantly smaller size, the translated to success. It is remarkable coaches are now able to provide more one- to see how teamwork can improve on-one assistance with team members. results in a sport that is dominantly This competitive attitude is shown thought of as an individual one.

All of the members of the track team through the rigorous practices that the team has endured throughout the season. are especially close with one another, as According to Gillman, “after most days, [he] the many of them run track during other

seasons as well. This aspect makes track very unique, as many other sports are centered around a particular season, whereas track is very versatile. This cohesion is clearly shown off the track as well, through spirit days and team bonding events.

The team has already zoomed through some developmental meets at the PG Sportsplex and the Christopher Newport Invitational track meet.

These events as well as others lead up to the state championships that are at the end of the season. Rogers exclaimed, “We really have a good shot in the boys 4x800 meter relay this year.” The team has high expectations and believes it can be a force in the state. “The goals are always the same: we want to improve as the season goes on,” he later added.

With such a positive start to the season, the team’s success can only go up from here. “Rain or shine. Sleet or snow.

We’re going to make people notice us as States this year. Just you wait and see,” stated junior Ninad Nirgudkar.

Nirgudkar has been an active participant in hurdling events since freshman year and welcomes the opportunity to coach young talent. He stated that the winter season allows novice runners to participate in new events, as well as stay in shape for the upcoming Spring season.

With high hopes and immense dedication, the indoor track team is off to a great start. The heightened competitive attitude has allowed the team members to endure vigorous practices, and drop their times significantly.

The track team is racing its way to the top, and all eyes will be on them as they make their way to PG Sportsplex for the Indoor Track Championships in February.

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SPORTS

Cheerleaders step up to conquer Division II

by Syllia Newstead History was made on November 14 when the Richard Montgomery cheerleaders came in first place at their Division II competition at Blair High School. Now RM has earned a Division I spot for next year and strives to receive another distinguished score.

The game changing score was a huge achievement for the team. According to

with the stunt and really had to battle for it but “people came up to me saying we did really well,” continued LeRoy. The Division II competition consists of eight schools with each edging to advance to the next division. The judges score each school based on skill, difficulty, cleanness, and technique.

Even though the squad won Division II, there is always room for improvement.

Referring to the lib stunt, Batista commented, “we could have been more in sync and not drop that.” The strength

PHOTO BY JADE ZHANG

The cheerleaders successfully perform a heel stretch stunt at the division competition. junior Zeinna Estrada, “it was honestly of the routine came from the flowing shocking that we won. I’ve never won first dance moves, elaborate choreography, and place so it was so exhilarating.” enthusiastic cheers.

The season so far took a toll on the Crowds of spirited fans filled the cheerleaders due to extremely difficult bleachers, rooting for the cheerleaders. A and repetitive practices. “It was one of lot of their friends and family came out the most intense seasons. People had big in support. “They deserved that win with personalities and it would always clash. It their rough season and drama,” stated was crazy,” stated senior Ashley Batista, junior PJ Corr, who was in attendance. but the girls found a way to make it work.

Students who witnessed the intense Junior Sofia Carrasco added, “There competition believed that the cheerleaders were many new girls this year so working did a fabulous job. “We were way better together was hard but throughout the than the other schools. The only school that season we got along.” With these new team was a competition to us was Clarksburg,” members, the cheerleaders had to put aside commented junior Winter Spray. their differences to pursue a sport they all Paint Branch High School came in love. Thus, the team was able to step up second place, followed by Clarksburg in and do back-breaking work. third. With their fan base at their side, the At the competition, RM was the first to cheerleaders should not have been worried perform. Though nervous butterflies before about the competition. a big event are common, senior Chelsea In a new division, the team must prepare Leroy explained, “Before we performed for greater competition next year. “I have we were alright, but after we performed, faith as long as they do more tumbling and everybody had a mental breakdown. good technical stunts, more conditioning, People lost hope because we dropped a and build up muscle then they would be stunt.” fine,” said LeRoy, “I have hope as long as They missed the lib stunt, where the they work together.” Physical strength and flyer goes up on one leg, but the team teamwork are key factors in developing a nonetheless accomplished their goal to successful routine to be competitive in the impress the crowd. The team struggled cheerleader’s toughest challenge yet.

December 2014

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Poms squad trains to demolish competition

by Nick Jackson and Giovanni Marchand Having won the spirit award and second-place trophy at last year’s county championships, the poms team aims to surpass high expectations in the 2015 competition season.

The sport consists of pure team cooperation; these girls work hard to perfect their timing with every move. In competition, the judges typically look for creativity, style, and coordination, although individual judges have their own criteria. No two judges are the same, which makes the task of impressing all of them much more difficult.

Upon being asked about the poms’ expected performance from this year’s team, senior captain Bintu Traore said, “We don’t really know for sure, we’ll see how things go after the first competition.” The captains will use their first competition, scheduled for January 10, to see where they are as a team and what aspects need to be improved before the county competition.

Traore identified one of the team’s concerns as “time, because we don’t have many practices due to winter break and other holidays before the competition.”

At the same time, Traore easily noticed that the team’s strength are its “unique choreography and really talented, hardworking group of girls who have the drive and mentality to get us to first place!”

Sophomore Ashley Bakhadj finds poms unique for the team’s chemistry. She said, “With elements like kick line and ripples, you work together as a team to create an illusion.” The team consists of 18 people, and if a single member is out of place, the entire routine is thrown off. Precision is the key component.

The team’s nonstop outstanding performances are filled with intricate choreography, to the captains’ credit.

Traore reflected upon the dedication necessary to create the dance routines, stating that “the captains work for six hours every Sunday trying to come up

with new choreography.” Furthermore, junior captain Lily Sahakian emphasized the mentally taxing duties of a captain, since she “takes responsibility [by trying] to keep the team organized [with] some sort of leadership.”

Typically the judges search for variety in style and music, and want to see that all performers are showcased and that they all hold their poms for at least two minutes.

Senior captain Maddie Harlow explained, “There is a choreography award at our competitions and we try to come up with the most innovative and unique choreography and music to get that award.”

The girls never stop, performing at both football and basketball games. Every time they get an opportunity to practice for a crowd, the team takes advantage of it. Sophomore Claire Wilson thinks that football games performances are more fun and open. But during basketball season, the girls have a “more competitive mindset and goal of practicing for competition season,” she said.

When asked about how she plans to prepare for competition season, junior captain Maddie Schuck cited a classic mantra: “work hard, play hard.”

The team’s four captains, seniors Bintu Traore and Maddie Harlow and juniors Lily Sahakian and Maddie Schuck, all participated in the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Traore stated, “I was very excited to be a part of the Macy’s Parade because I watch it every year and it’s crazy to think that I was a part of something that is a shared tradition all across the country.”

She added, “This helped us as captains to prepare to deal with a large crowd of people, so the competitions should be no problem at all.”

Upon being asked about the difference between last year’s team and this year’s team, Harlow stated, “We’re doing better because we’re tighter knit. Last year we had some loose ends, but now everyone is really focused on first place.” She even joked, “We’re so determined that we have a rule that no girl on the team is allowed to have a boyfriend.”

PHOTO BY © 2014 EYE ON THE BALL

Poms’ superior precision and elaborate routine translates into dangerous competition.

RM wrestlers prepare for intense season ahead

by Andrew Del Vecchio Intense physical conditioning. A strict diet consisting of small rations of water and low-mass foods. Hours of training and competition every week. The wrestlers of Richard Montgomery must endure this almost unbearable regimen every winter, all to get a step up on the competition.

Every member of the team, however, participates in this intense training ritual willingly, as they know it is a vital part of winning a championship.

Senior Kevin Chatlin’s life is consumed by wrestling every winter. Practices last for 3 hours every day, consisting of conditioning, practice holds, and bouts.

The temperature of the room slowly rises as the increased humidity forces the wrestlers to sweat, helping them cut down weight.

Chatlin remarked, “we have lots of experienced guys this year, so now

that everyone knows what they’re doing, we can push each other.”

Chatlin and the other wrestlers have scars and bruises all over their bodies after spending years on the mats. On a Monday after a tournament, Chatlin walked into school with a black eye, and played it off indifferently. “Its a nice trophy,” he stated.

These players have been dealing with the mental and physical pain for so long, but they do not seem phased in the slightest. Rather, Chatlin acknowledges that the intensity of his training is standard

“It really teaches you to persevere and be strong, both mentally and physically.”

procedure for top wrestling players, and he knows that he must be strict with himself if he wants to keep up with the competition.

In addition to the scars, the wrestlers must also face the danger of severely injuring themselves in a violent contact sport, possibly leading them to miss several months of action. As one of the school’s top lacrosse players, Chatlin saw his worst nightmare become a reality when he suffered a broken foot during a regional wrestling tournament, forcing him to miss the entire 2014 lacrosse season.

“It was really tough,” Chatlin reflected, “but I took advantage of the season.”

He spent most of the spring on the sidelines, learning from his coaches and spending his extra time in the weight room, which, Chatlin later added, has “helped a lot this year.”

Many of the other wrestlers also play multiple sports throughout the year, and junior Leo Simon, a linebacker for the football team, noted that, “It

really teaches you to persevere and be strong, mentally and physically,” a valuable asset for football players.

In addition to the physical component of the sport, top wrestlers must also be masters of their own diets, controlling how much they eat to stay under their respective weight limits. Chatlin notes that in a typical week, he contracts his portion sizes and cuts junk food entirely from his diet. In the days leading up to a match or tournament, he will strictly monitor his food intake so he gets as close to the weight limit as possible, careful not to exceed it.

Chatlin, after admitting that their routine is difficult at times, said, “I’ve been doing it nine years now, so it’s been a big part of my life. I’ve come to love the sport.”

Chatlin’s ultimate goal for this season is to reach the state championships, which two Richard Montgomery wrestlers did last year. Through self-discipline and a deepened commitment to himself and to the team, this goal is certainly within reach.

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The Tide

SPORTS

Athlete of the Issue

December 2014

Ellie Sherman blows competition out of the water

by Madeleine Cheng Persistent and strong-willed.

Both of these qualities define senior Ellie Sherman, captain of the girls swim team. Her hard work, ethics, and determination have driven her to become one of the best female swimmers in the county and state.

Sherman began swimming at the young age of 6 for her local summer league swim team.

Although she was not very serious about the sport yet, she began to do winter workouts. It was not until eighth grade, when Sherman’s coach moved her up to the highest level training group, that she realized that swimming was something she wanted to pursue.

Even though Sherman entered the competitive swimming world at a relatively late age, she had no problem fitting in and rising to the top. Her success here at Richard Montgomery for the past three years has been evident.

In her sophomore year she was chosen to be on the junior national team, and in her junior year Sherman placed sixth in the 100 fly at states, showing just how talented and hardworking she is.

“Ellie is one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever met,” said sophomore Grace Sun. “Even during the hardest sets at practice, I’ve never seen her give up before.

She inspires me to be more like her because she excels in swimming and education. But she’s definitely

more than just an inspiration.

She’s a wonderful friend who is caring, funny, and lovable.”

These thoughts seem to be echoed by everyone else, including fellow senior captain Peter Wang, who

it will all be worth it in the end.

Sherman admits that it is definitely challenging to get home after practice and start her homework, when really all she wants to do is eat and sleep.

But her love and real passion for

boys, of course, blew it out of the water by winning states, and I couldn’t be prouder or happier for them,” said Sherman.

She thinks that both teams have the potential to do really well again this year and is hoping

PHOTO BY LISA YANG

Ellie Sherman races backstroke against top competitiors from other high schools at one of the RM meets. described Sherman as, “a great this sport is what drives her to that they will place high again teammate and hard worker.” do this each and every day. She in states, as well as get many Sherman has learned about loves the amazing feeling she gets individuals up on the podium. persistence and being strong- when she does really well in an As for personal goals this season, willed through her journey event after her intense training, Sherman is hoping to drop time in swimming. Swimming has knowing that she earned it. in her 200 individual medley. taught her how to work hard She is extremely proud of how Some standout swimmers that for something. She has learned both the boys and girls teams she thinks will be big contributors to not give up when things get did last year. “We got fourth, to the girls team this year include hard, knowing that if she can and we were only half a point juniors Audrey Richter and Kelsy push through the hard parts, away from third in states. The Song, sophomore Grace Sun,

and freshman Nefret El-Masry.

“Not only is Ellie a major point contributor to the girls team, she is also a great leader. She gets everyone involved in some sort of role during the meets.

Ellie is always up cheering and rooting for her team,” praised coach Aryn Wheeler.

As her high school career nears an end, she has some advice and words of wisdom for the younger swimmers on the team. “Enjoy your time while you are here.

It goes by so much faster than you think it will. Enjoy every opportunity you can to spend time with your team, because they really will be some of your best friends. Train hard every day because it is the little things that make the biggest differences.”

Sherman has definitely left her mark here at RM and on the swim team. “Mrs. Wheeler really is one of the best coaches out there, and I’m gonna miss her and all the other swimmers like crazy,” said Sherman, describing what she will miss the most about the team.

As for her college choice, Sherman is still undecided, but she is positive that wherever she decides to go, she will swim for that school at least for the first year.

Despite this uncertainty however, there is one thing that is certain: that she will continue to be the successful, hardworking, strong-willed, and persistent person she already is, and that she will continue to surpass all kinds of boundaries on her very own road to gold.

All RM teams #BeatRockville Bocce team shines

by Numrah Shaikh

and both showed what they are made of at the first game.

High school rivalries often get very heated, and the Richard Montgomery and Rockville rivalry is no exception. The hashtag #beatrockville was blowing up on Twitter feeds in the week leading up to the basketball games, and the tension was rising.

However, despite all the hype, none of the teams disappointed.

As soon as the first shots of the season Freshmen went up from junior Melanie Osborne Kristina Brown in and Keron Williams the girls varsity led the varsity team to game, and junior victory with 17 points Daniel Alexander from Williams and in the boys 12 from Osborne. varsity game, all Brown also finished eyes were trained strong with 10 on the court. points, and “Rockville varsity girls left should watch out!” the game with exclaimed freshman a 43-37 win.

Keron Williams and The junior Kimberly Stamets bleachers confidently right before were packed the girls varsity game. with both Rockets This year the team and Rams at the consists of only two boys varsity game, seniors, Yajiara Rivas and RM’s spirit was and Allie Parrish, abundant. “We have the but along with best fans in MoCo,” these talents, two senior Justin extraordinary Nikakhtar said f r e s h m a n after the 77-70 win are starting in overtime. © 2014 EYE ON THE BALL on the team,

The game was tied 65-65 after the Rams scored with only 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Throughout the stressful overtime, all the Rocket fans were on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer sounded. As the Rockets were left as the victors, students stormed the court.

Seniors Nick Jackson and Renzo Farfan led the scoring for the Rockets, along with junior Seth Nosanchuk, who posted 15 points. Close behind them was Nassir Robinson, with 14 points in his first game representing the Rockets.

As well as outstanding wins in both girls and boys varsity, the junior varsity teams also ended the night with two wins against Rockville.

Freshman Kate Schuck and sophomore Sarah Rhodes led the scoring for the JV girls, who left with an amazing 42-22 win.

Sophomores Jordan Stover and Tresean Sewell both had 17 points in the JV boys game, and led their team to a 70-51 win.

With all the hype that surrounded these games, including the “Beat Rockville” video that circulated the internet and the Twitter hashtag, there was a lot of pressure on our Rockets to perform well.

But when the time came and all eyes were on them, every single one of our Rockets delivered, demonstrating the skill of our teams and the dedication of our fans.

by Quang Nguyen Bocce, despite its relative obscurity in the American athletic world, is a sport rich in history, and has been an important recreational sport in human civilization.

In Bocce matches, players attempt to get their bocce balls as close to the target, the Pallino, as possible, while also attempting to knock the opposing team’s bocce balls away from the Pallino.

The Richard Montgomery bocce ball team has garnered many accomplishments in its three years, and is looking to change people’s dismissive outlook on the sport.

Just last year, the team reached the state championship and placed third in the tight competition, an immense achievement considering the team’s recent creation.

The team aspires to improve even further on their strong performance last year. The guiding sage behind the team, Mr. Schauer, devotes his experience, energy, and humor to push the team to succeed.

He also develops new in-game strategies that give the team extra leverage to win the game.

On the team’s goal for the new season, he firmly states that “We have a goal of being first in State Championships this year,” while seniors Jamal Middleton and Shabaz Baig agree on

“Anything better than third in State.” The team has more than enough talent to realize that goal.

The team excels at bringing out the diverse qualities possessed by each team member. Baig is an anchor to the team, and a key player. Sophomores Joey Moore and Kayleigh Ewart, junior Seth Klein, and Middleton were all important factors to the success of the Richard Montgomery bocce ball team last year.

Along with physical dexterity, bocce fosters important mental qualities for life-long success.

Mr. Schauer emphasizes that bocce “teaches you teamwork, innovative outlook to solve problems, and cooperation among the team members.”

Middleton, who has been a part of the team since the beginning, asserts that sportsmanship is a critical aspect promoted by bocce.

While the team is obviously very hungry for success, Karecki also sums up his playing experience as “fun and worthwhile,” as he formed many lasting connections with a small, tight-knit squad.

This year, the Richard Montgomery team strives for even further success in the state competition against tough teams like Sherwood and Rockville as well as last year’s state winner, Wootton.

However, team captain Baig points out, “We keep things light and fun and I think that’s why we win.”

Regardless of whether they win, the team has already won rapport with the students here at RM.