The Tide - February 2020

20

News 2-3

Opinions 4-6

La Marea 9

Center Spread 10-11

Features 12-14

Arts 16-18

Sports 19-20

PHOTO COURTESY OF MILESPLIT

Junior Caia Gelli finishes her race strong and wins the 300 Meter dash at the Montgomery County Championships on Jan. 22, 2020, breaking one of several track records this season.

by Kevin Zhang and Lucas Corea SENIOR SPORTS WRITER AND SPORTS WRITER

While the RM Indoor Track team has been a dominant force in the county and the region for many years, the 2020 season has been one for the books. The team recently finished second at the

Maryland 4A West Regionals and also finished fourth at the MCPS Championships. Along the way, however, many long standing RM records were shattered in everything from the boys distance medley relay to the girls 55 meter run, etching new milestones into the RM record books.

First, at the MCPS Invitational on Jan. 11, the boys distance

medley relay (DMR) team took first in the competition and also broke RM’s previous record of 10:44.0 from 2011 with a time of 10:35.95.

The team was made up of seniors Avery Azripe, Garrett Suhr and Seydi Sall as well as junior Elias Applebaum.

“It feels good to be a part of this team,” Arizpe said. “It means a

AP/IB Art struggles with class numbers

by Grace Comer SENIOR ARTS WRITER

In a basement art studio, a small group of AP and IB Arts seniors work diligently to plan the 2020 Senior Art Show. But, recently, there has been stress over more than just coordinating such a major event; some students are concerned that IB Art may soon be a class of the past.

According to senior IB Art student Selin Apaydin, some students have dropped the class this year, leaving it with only nine students. Furthermore, Ms. Kelly Posey, the AP and IB Arts teacher, said that there are currently only two students signed up for IB Art for the 2020-2021 school year.

Apaydin believes that having

Inside The Tide...

such a small class is actually beneficial to the students. “You’d be able to get a lot more focus from your teacher,” she said.

However, some students are worried that administration will fail to see the advantage of a smaller class. “I don’t know if Mr. Monteleone is going to continue to think that we should fund IB Art if there’s so few students in the class,” senior AP Art student Annabelle Sargent said.

Ms. Posey added, “I’m worried that maybe interest in IB will dissipate.”

Opinions differ on why interest in IB Art appears to be decreasing.

Apaydin said, “I think there’s this idea that art is a really stressful class, and you have to do so much for it.”

AP/IB ART, cont. page 16

News, 3

Coronavirus scares

lot that I was able to play a part in making it that way.” With this new record, the team is now ranked 24th in the nation for the DMR. Furthermore, at the VA Showcase on Jan. 19, the Girls 4x200 meter relay team broke the school record of 1:45.20 set in 2007, running a time of 1:45.06. With that time, the team finished 17th

out of 108 teams that day and are now ranked 55th nationally in the 4x200. The team included senior Diamond Alexander, juniors Arabella Eismann and Caia Gelli and sophomore Ayokami Akala.

“We are definitely growing and improving together,” Alexander said.

TRACK, cont. page 19

Security addresses bathroom graffiti

by Tejas Nazare NEWS WRITER

PHOTO BY MARY MA

Student completes live figure study.

Features, 14 Valentides

The graffiti “AidsBaby” has become a common sight on and around the RM campus. In a practice known as ‘tagging,’ vandals mark public areas with a nickname or phrase—a practice that has skyrocketed in the past two months. From bathroom stalls and walls to the back of street signs, the graffiti has become ubiquitous.

Though RM staff and students are currently attempting to find the culprits, the nature of graffiti is such that copycats are often inspired to do the same, making it increasingly difficult to blame this problem on a few individuals.

Still, thanks to efforts from

Arts, 16

Worst fictional couples

security and building services, there has been a decrease in new graffiti violations. Principal Damon Monteleone explained the process by which the graffiti is being curbed.

GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN AND VALERIE WANG

BATHROOMS, cont. page 2

The Online Tide

2

The Tide

NEWS

Bathroom graffiti prompts response from RM community BATHROOMS, cont. from page 1 “We have security staff that are male and female checking the bathroom for graffiti as soon as the bell rings at the start of class,” Mr. Monteleone said. “They then go back before the class ends and check again to see if there has been any new graffiti. If there is new graffiti, they just go back and check the security cameras to see who’s been in that bathroom. We’ve been able to identify a couple of kids that way. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN WHEELER

“People need to realize what a privilege it is to go to school here.”

- Mr. Monteleone “I understand how one could think the AidsBaby thing is funny, but I think the people doing it are just blemishing our beautiful school and causing an unnecessary hassle

A lunch (left) and a keyboard (right) are among items thrown in toilets.

for building services,” junior Edward Sorenson said.

Besides the grafiti, there has been a general increase in the mistreatment of school property as of recently. In extreme instances, students are urinating on the floor and destroying school property in the bathrooms. The damage has been done almost exclusively in the boys bathrooms.

The problem goes beyond the bathrooms as well. RM is unique in that students can eat anywhere they want during lunch. This

privilege may be threatened as a result of increased amounts of trash being left in the hallways.

RM has a track record of being a school that is kept in good condition. The recent vandalisms and destruction of property are out of the ordinary.

“People need to realize what a privilege it is to go to school here. We shouldn’t take for granted what we have and abuse it. I think that people should respect their environment, no matter where they are,” Mr. Monteleone said.

February 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF

MCPS SMOB nominating convention selects final candidates

On Feb. 12, student delegates from Montgomery County middle and high schools flocked to the annual Student Member of the Board (SMOB) nominating convention at Watkins Mill High School. During the convention, the students voted and selected two finalists from an extensive 13-student pool: junior Nick Asante, from Richard Montgomery High School, and junior Victoria Kidder, from Colonel Zadok Magruder High School.

The MCPS SMOB is a voting member of the MCPS Board of Education, who votes on matters such as operating budgets, collective bargaining, boundaries, and school reopenings and closings for the duration of their school year term.

Montgomery County is one of two counties in Maryland to give their SMOB full voting rights. “We are in a unique space where we care about the student voice and where the student has a seat at the table, which is unseen almost everywhere else,” current SMOB Nate Tinbite said.

Prior to the nominating convention, thirteen students from all over Montgomery County formally filed as candidates, and conducted school visits to many Montgomery County schools to spread awareness of their campaign and goals if elected.

Asante, whose campaign focuses on improving school safety, environmental preservation, mental health awareness, and increased college readiness in schools, is emphasizing the importance of ensuring Montgomery County is the best it can be GRAPHIC BY educationally and advocating for students CHRISTIAN TESTA of different backgrounds.

Kidder, on the other hand, is prioritizing infrastructure improvement, mental health awareness, and solving the opportunity gap, as well as improving school curriculum to make it more relatable and applicable for all students.

Now, Asante and Kidder will continue to campaign between February and April. A final county-wide election to determine MCPS’s 43rd SMOB will be held on April 22.

By Grace Burwell and Rachel Wang TiIDEPOD EDITOR AND SENIOR NEWS WRITER

Controversy arises over SAT use in college admissions

by Sagar Castleman NEWS WRITER

In early December, an alliance of students, advocacy groups and a school district sued the University of California in an attempt to prevent the cluster of nine schools from considering the SAT and other standardized tests in the admissions process. The plaintiffs claimed that such standardized tests are biased against minority students, thus ultimately denying those students’ right to equal protection under the law.

Among the core reasons the plaintiffs listed was the enormous industry of test preparation, which, due to its price, is available

exclusively to wealthy families. The plaintiffs’ lawyer said that test preparation “create[s] an uneven playing field.”

“I think especially because right now there are a lot of issues of income inequality in the United States, people have different resources that they can allocate differently. So SAT prep courses do give some students an advantage over others,” sophomore Carina Guo said. “If somebody scores better on their SAT, it’s perhaps because they had more opportunities in the rest of life, and then if they’re more successful, they can pay for SAT classes for their children, and it furthers this divide.”

The Princeton Review’s controversial SAT prep course ex-

emplifies this. Its 1500+ course guarantees a score of 1500 or higher on the test; if not, the company promises that customers will be able to get their money back. For 16 two-hour online sessions, the course clocks in at $2300, or over $70/hour.

“Making test prep almost obligatory to get into a good school but also extremely expensive is going to increase inequality. It’s extremely unfair for low income students, and especially students of color,” sophomore Eleanor ClemansCope said. “It’s up to schools to really prioritize what they’re looking at in order to get a diverse body that really reflects the people who are working the hardest and not just who

March

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA MAZZA

Prep books are a commonly used for standardized test studying by students.

are paying the most money.”

In a statement, the College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, said, “The notion that the SAT is discriminatory is false.”

Some are hesitant to scrap the SAT altogether as a whole.

“I’m not a huge fan of standardized testing,” sophomore Kevin Zhang, who has taken SAT prep courses since middle school, said. “But I do think that until

there’s a better alternative, not much can be done about it.”

However, many others are in favor of the change. “Although it is a measure for those who take it, there are many people who can’t afford to take it in the first place or who don’t have the preparation to take it,” Guo said. “But I also think that there is more to people than just what they score on a test.”

CORRECTIONS

March 10

Daylight Savings Say goodbye to one hour of sleep.

March 17

St. Patrick’s Day When is an Irish potato not an Irish potato?

When it’s a French fry.

March 25

Maryland Day Get out your Old Bay...

March 27

End of Third Quarter So close yet so far.

There was no graphic byline for the graphic in the Arts article, “Film nominations come as no surprise”; the graphic was by Annabelle Sargent.

The Arts article “Madrigals invited to sing at White House” was by Clare Zhang and Janet Choi, not solely Janet Choi.

AWARDS Congrats to RM Swim & Dive for placing 2nd at Metros and breaking their county record!

Kudos to RM Bocce for placing 7th at the MD state championships!

Hats off to Eli Protas and Aidan Goldenberg-Hart for being recognized as National History Day Finalists!

Great job to Anujin Dashdorj for being selected as MoCo Player of the Week!

Congratulations to 15 RM students for becoming 2020 Candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program!

Pat on the back to 8 RM students for receiving gold keys in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition.

NEWS

The Tide

February 2020

Coronavirus spurs closings and racism

by Jerry Shen and Hannah Lee NEWS WRITER AND SENIOR NEWS WRITER

GRAPHIC BY ANNABELLE SARGENT

MCPS addresses teacher diversity

by Timothy Chu NEWS WRITER

RM is known to have a diverse student population, encompassing students from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.

“There are definitely benefits.

You can see different perspectives when you have diversity,” junior Brandon Huynh said.

However this trend is not reflected among the teacher population. Teachers around the nation are still overwhelmingly white. Eight in ten students live in school districts where African American and Hispanic teachers are less than five percent of staff, according to the Washington Post.

Montgomery County Public Schools is attempting to address these concerns. According to district administration, MCPS has launched the Building Our Network of Diversity project, intended to develop hiring and retention strategies specifically for male African American, Asian and Hispanic teachers.

Although most RM students agree that student diversity is valuable, opinions are mixed

on the importance of teacher diversity. “I feel like the only time diversity would actually matter is in a TOK class, because that’s really the only class I have where teachers give their own perspectives and opinions,” senior Isaac Lim said. “In other classes, it’s just knowledge you’re learning.”

Others see teacher diversity as valuable but also not a pressing issue. “There should be an effort to increase teacher diversity, but as of now there is a good mix,” sophomore Kai Ghebrehiwet said. “I see teacher diversity as a strength since different viewpoints are shared to students.

You get closer bonds between students and teachers, creating an engaging and effective learning environment.”

Studies show that classrooms with teachers that match students’ racial backgrounds help boost test scores, attendance and graduation rates, and lower suspension rates, according to the Washington Post.

As of 2020, there are signs that the current situation could change. According to the MCPS website, of the 903 new teachers hired in 2019, 39 percent were non-white, representing a 12 percent increase from 2015.

The COVID-19—previously known as the Novel Coronavirus—first originated in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. As of now, it has spread to approximately 45,171 people in 26 different countries. Of the 28,000 people around the world who have been confirmed to be infected, more than 560 people have died, amounting to a death rate of about 2-3 percent.

In response to growing concerns over the coronavirus from the community’s Asian Americans and the Asian Pacific American Task Force, Rockville announced on Jan. 28 that the annual Chinese Lunar New Year celebration would be canceled.

Cities around America have been taking similar measures.

According to the New York Times, organizers in Queens, N.Y. also decided to cancel the widely celebrated cultural event. It began when a paper cutting artist, recently returned from Wuhan, China, decided to quarantine herself. A hand puppet company decided to withdraw as well.

B u t beyond

disease, there has been a spread of xenophobia against those of Chinese or Asian ethnicity.

“People say something about Chinese people, and it’s kind of unnecessary to put all the blame onto them,” junior Bintou Dialoo said. “It’s not their fault.”

Prejudice in response to disease has been a recurring theme.

Mexicans were ridiculed in the midst of a swine flu outbreak in 2019. In the time of the 2014 Ebola epidemic, individuals of African descent were constantly scapegoated. Social media, in turn, has become a major vehicle for the spread of racism and misinformation.

Monica Spoch-Sana, a medical anthropologist at Johns Hopkins, told Time that such stigma does more than just social and moral harm. “Historically, people in scapegoated groups can be more reluctant to seek out medical care when they’re symptomatic,” she said.

According to the CDC, there are 15 confirmed cases in the United States.

GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE DINH

3

On Feb. 7, CBS reported that about 300 Americans from Wuhan flew home on an evacuation flight to Texas and California, to be quarantined.

In addition, the CDC has screened 27 Chinese Americans from the Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas cruise, which was returning to Bayonne, N.J. According to NBC, 23 were released, and four were sent to a hospital to be isolated.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus has alarmed some individuals in the RM community. “I’m worried that the coronavirus will impact our everyday lives and that it may become a pandemic in just a few weeks,” RM parent Sherry Jiang said. “Within a week’s span of time, the number of cases around the world has almost tripled.”

“I think it’s pretty dangerous because it has the same symptoms as the normal cold,” Dialoo said.

“I think people should be careful still because it’s caught pretty easily just through breathing the same air as someone who’s sick.”

However, school nurse Julie Olsen said that the coronavirus should not be a concern at MCPS, and other viruses pose more of an issue. “I’m just worried about everybody getting the regular flu,” she said. “There are a lot of deaths in the United States just from the regular old flu.”

She recommended frequent and thorough handwashing, getting flu vaccinations and covering sneezes and coughs.

“You know, obviously everything can change,” Ms. Olsen said. “But at this time I think the health department, the CDC, is doing diligence to control it.”

$4.23 billion MCPS budget sparks discussion

by Liz Frisbie NEWS WRITER

On Jan. 15, County Executive Marc Elrich announced a $4.23 billion Capital Improvements Plan, which funds construction and infrastructure projects in the county for the next six years. Only weeks before, Superintendent Jack Smith submitted his recommendations to the Board of Education for MCPS’ 2021 Operating Budget, which is currently proposed to be $2.8 billion.

According to Bethesda Magazine, both budget proposals for next year are around 4-5 percent larger than the budgets from this year. However, most students believe that such increases are justified. “I think the budget should be expanded because we have a lot of overcrowding in our schools, so we need to accommodate everyone with a bigger budget.” sophomore Isabela Santos said.

Smith reiterated similar sentiments in an interview with the Sentinel Newspaper. “The spending increases are to support our students, support our work, and to be able to attract, recruit, hire and maintain a strong and diverse workforce,” Smith said. “Fewer people are going

to universities and colleges to become teachers. This money will help us grow our own.”

However, many students and staff disagree with the Board of Education and the Montgomery County Council on what the budget should be used for. Members of the student organization MoCo EmpowHER have testified before the Board on adding feminine hygiene products to secondary schools.

“We always need to be promoting any project that promotes educational equity,” - Hana O’Looney “Menstrual hygiene is inherently an educational equity issue, just because first of all menstrual hygiene products are really expensive,” sophomore student advocate Hana O’Looney said. “Studies have shown time and time again that students struggle to afford them. So when people don’t have them on hand,

whether that’s for financial The current plan for the reasons or just bad timing, it Operating Budget is to serve keeps them from going to class.” more pre-kindergarten students, The $2.8 billion budget still increase MCPS staff, expand has to be approved by both the schools and add three new regional Board and the County Council, IB programs. The Montgomery and thus there’s the possibility County Education Association, that the final budget won’t be the county’s teacher union, rallied fully funded. However, many around MCPS’ central offices still believe that this isn’t an before the hearing to protest a lack excuse to underfund certain of funding for teacher’s salaries, areas. art, music and health curriculum, “Any Board of Education, smaller classes and support for MCPS, is always going to English language learners. be working with a limited “County support for budget, but it’s a matter of instrumental music prioritization,” is subpar.

O’Looney said. “So As our they’re already enrollment talking about increases, the feasibility our staffing of two-ply does not,” toilet paper. instrumental They have an music teacher entire page Ted McAllister on the MCPS told Bethesda website dedicated M a g a z i n e . to thoughts on “Essentially, funding for twoinstrumental ply toilet paper music is being and how much slowly cut it would cost. from our schools, T h e y ’ v e GRAPHIC BY HELENA YANG and students are experimented losing access at an with this in the past, so if this is important, formative age.” a discussion that the Board has “We always need to be promoting already had, then I think that any project that promotes [feminine hygiene products] educational equity,” O’Looney definitely needs to take said. “One really big thing this priority.” year is guidance counselors

and school psychologists and increasing those. Right now, every high school is required to have one school psychologist.

But for a school like RM, we have 2,800 kids, and that’s frankly not enough care. So expanding funding for that is another issue that’s really important.”

The $4.23 billion Capital Improvements Plan is facing similar criticism for underfunding certain areas that members of the Montgomery County community called for. “It would be great if a portion of the Capital budget could go towards road improvement because there’s a lot of potholes where we live. It’s a minor thing, but it’ll help our community,” Santos said.

However, some students believe that the county is doing the best with what they have, especially considering the numerous financial restraints that they face.

“We already don’t have as much money as we want to, so it’s fine to leave it at that,” freshman Carmen Kenfack said. “And a lot of other stuff people say should be in the budget is more material such as getting better technology.

I think the issue with getting stuff like that is they tend to break cause we’re students, we’re kids, we can’t take care of anything. So I feel like they have their focus on the right areas.”

4 The Tide

OPINIONS

February 2020

Should high school students date?

by Nicole Fang SENIOR OPINIONS WRITER

It is like the plot of any romcom: from gossiping about crushes to blushing at every small interaction, your first movie date makes for a groundbreaking journal entry, and prom night seems like the most magical occasion of your life. While many parents, teachers, and peers make high school dating seem like a big waste of time, healthy relationships in adolescence can actually help shape identities and prepare teens for more positive relationships during adulthood.

Dating in high school is how you figure out how to handle all the guys and girls that life throws at you: the players, the teens who are too cool to have feelings, the womanizers and manizers and the ones who are actually decent.

“When you date several people through the years, you end up learning what qualities you value in a partner so that you can find someone who’s perfect for you later in life,” sophomore Myka Fromm said. Knowing how to establish and maintain healthy

romantic relationships can be an important way for adolescents to develop social skills and grow emotionally.

Being in a relationship also takes you out of your comfort zone, offering a different perspective on high school. “There are so many things that you would never be able to do without having a girlfriend or boyfriend: going on dates, exchanging presents, and walking together in the halls are just a few on the list of the great experiences that you can share with your date,” junior Alex Karbowski said. From school dances to dates, intimate relationships can create fond memories for you to look back on, allowing you to make the most out of your time as a high school student.

For the first time in life, you may face the fact that you get to know a person completely inside out. “High schoolers’ lives can get kind of depressing, so it’s really nice to have someone who knows you really well and who can comfort you,” Fromm said.

As most teens value intimacy and emotional investment in times of sadness, one of the best benefits of being in a relationship may

be that you have someone to talk to whenever you are in times of trouble and hardship.

With all the responsibilities you have in high school, such as homework, extracurriculars, and maintaining other friendships, it is sometimes difficult to manage everything. One of the best things about starting to date in high school rather than college is that you learn time management skills early, and are thus are able to give time and

Paper straws are mushy menaces and eco-placebos

by Rohan Dewan SENIOR OPINIONS WRITER

Straws, a hallmark of American fast food, have dominated the United States over the last century. From its invention in 1888 by Marvin Stone to the numerous updates it has received throughout the years (including plastification), many Americans consider straws an essential part of their drinking experience. But recently, under the anthem “save the turtles”, numerous activists have turned against these plastic products, advocating for their replacement by more “ecofriendly paper materials”.

However, paper straws are just short of criminal. Not only do they falsely advertise themselves as beneficial to the planet, but no person should ever be forced to experience the fibrous evil.

Imagine going out with your friends to Silver Diner and ordering a milkshake, only to find the paper eyesore sticking out of your whipped cream. Your initial reaction is of surprise—yet another franchise has fallen to the paper-straw movement—but this quickly morphs into pure disgust after your first few sips.

The straws may work fine for a minute or two, but they quickly moisten and collapse, turning your drink into a disaster as plaster mixes with liquid, making a pulp.

In addition to poor structural integrity, paper straws have an extremely off putting texture that ruins your experience. “It just gets soggy before I can finish and little chunks of paper fall in my drink and I can’t drink it anymore,” said sophomore Chisom Anyanwu.

The activists counter the

argument that paper straws are unpleasant with the idea that eliminating plastic straws is helpful to Earth. In fact, many would agree with these individuals, that is if their argument was true. According to National Geographic, straws make up just 0.025 percent of all plastic in the ocean. With other issues at hand, society should divert more time and resources to fighting important issues—bottles make up 14 percent of plastic in the ocean—rather than abolishing the plastic straw.

PHOTO BY ANNE MOSER

Paper straws becoming standard

Another fallacy, paper straws are better for the environment, lies within their claim. In reality, paper straws are also extremely harmful to the environment, though their consequences are less visible. Not only does the production of paper straws emit more greenhouse gases than their plastic counterparts according to HowStuffWorks, but in a time of extreme deforestation and forest

fires, paper straws will quicken the already rapid depletion of Earth’s forests.

After these paper products are used, they get thrown away.

Paper may be recyclable, but once contaminated in any way, it is impossible to repurpose. This causes paper to make its way into the environment and hurt organisms in similar ways to plastic products.

Although other reusable straws— ceramic, glass, or metal—have been introduced, these products are not only inconvenient but expensive.

Though rare, reusable straws have both impaled and choked people with disabilities, posing a greater risk to people than single use straws do. Combined with the risk of exposure to dangerous fungi and bacteria that can grow in the straws, reusable is not the way to go.

Although it is impractical and wrong to elimate straws completely, we can try and use less. Millions of straws are used daily at sit-down restaurants according to Business Insider.

These establishments automatically provide customers with straws for water, which is unnecessary. If restaurants stopped this behaviors, straw usage would be minimized.

Although straws are integral to a society that is ruled by convenience and productivity, where grab-andgo is the motto, in the future, plastic must be eliminated. “We need to establish an environment where plastic is no longer a norm and we need to find alternatives for a lot of things, not just straws or bottles,” administrator Nancy Shay said.

We do need to find an alternative to the beloved plastic straw, at the moment paper is just not a viable alternative. For now, we should simply forgo straws entirely if possible.

GRAPHIC BY ANGELNA GUHL

attention to both your partner and yourself. “Speaking from personal experience, when I first started dating, my girlfriend and I would text for the whole afternoon, I would rush through my work, but it has gotten much better as I just had to sacrifice time from playing games and watching YouTube,” Karbowski said.

Though it is well-known that high school relationships almost

always end during high school or soon after, this stigma should not hold you back from trying new things and seeing what life brings you. Even if relationships do not work out, the overall experience is worth it as you learn to grow as a person, discover valuable lessons, and undergo the whole high school dream that you once could only see in movies.

Broken hearts actually do leave long-term benefits as you learn how to deal with sadness and become a better person. In addition to making you more comfortable with dating in college and in adulthood, you will be able to protect your heart better and recognize red flags in future relationships. Every failed relationship is a step closer to the perfect one and becomes a learning experience to help make you the best partner you can be for your future person.

For those who are currently dating in high school, most would agree in a heartbeat that dating is worth it. Even though there may be many obstacles in young relationships, getting over each one just helps to strengthen individuals and bring more meaning and life to each day.

Cartoon Corner

GRAPHIC BY ANGELINA GUHL

The Tide Volume 44, Issue 4 250 Richard Montgomery Drive Rockville, Maryland 20852 www.thermtide.com 301-610-8000

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Editors-in-Chief....................................................Emily Chen, Helen Qian, Shevani Tewari News......................................................................................................................Faith Cheung Opinions................................................................................................Ashley Ye, Emily Zhao La Marea.......................................................................................Amanda Rodriguez-Michel Center Spread............................................................................Daniel Chen, Brooke Hilliard Features.......................................................................................Victoria Tong, Christine Zhu Arts........................................................................................................Mary Ma, Clare Zhang Sports..........................................................................................Kyra Wisneski, Eileen Zhang TidePod................................................................................................................Grace Burwell Photo.................................................................................................Joyce Milandu, Irene Kim Graphics.............................................................................................Valerie Wang, Kisha Yan Business.......................................................................................................................Jennifer Li Digital Media....................................................................................................Lanz Fernandez Design........................................................................................................................Angela Mu Sponsors.......................................................................Ms. Jennifer Kidd, Mrs. Bonnie Peyer

The Tide

OPINIONS

February 2020

5

Black & Gold

Should we be concerned about coronavirus?

Yes, it is a serious threat we No, social media contributes should be worried about to an unnecessary hysteria

by Brent Midlam OPINIONS WRITER

B

Black

The coronavirus outbreak has been the most pervasive international story of the past few weeks. Beginning in Wuhan, China in Dec. 2019, COVID-19, better known as coronavirus, has spread exponentially in recent weeks with almost 12,000 cases in China. The United States has restricted entry of Chinese nationals as a precaution against the virus, quarantined any travelers the Chinese community government is from Wuhan for two weeks and worked downplaying the mortality and infection day and night across the country to snuff rate from the disease as they have an out possible cases here in the U.S. incentive to suppress the real statistics in Many prominent pundits have argued order to maintain a facade of composure on that this is not a serious concern in the the international stage. On December 30, U.S., considering that almost all cases are Chinese doctor Li Wenliang first blew the outside the country, and the strain is not whistle after identifying cases of the virus, particularly dangerous when compared and was reprimanded by the Chinese to more common viruses like the flu. government and forced to denounce soHowever, disregarding virus outbreaks called rumors. He later died of the virus around the world is harmful, especially himself, after being among the few to considering the ever-increasing prevalence combat the epidemic in its early stages. of global travel.

The Chinese government’s disregard for While this case originated in China, the initial information and ignorance to the likely from eating cuisine found in a wild virus’ severity naturally makes us wonder animal market, governments in the U.S. what else they are hiding from the public. and China are already taking precautions While there’s no need to panic—the against the virus. China has quarantined coronavirus is not currently over 50 million citizens in and around the an imminent threat in the city of Wuhan, closing schools in the U.S.—that does not mean we area and halting most business. are perfectly safe. Any virus The U.S. has issued a strictest outbreak starts with a few travel advisory against cases, and the benefits trips to China, of taking a few extra a d v i s i n g steps to avoid a virus Americans in far outweigh the China to leave as inconvenience it may soon as possible. cause.

These do The general sentiment not sound like about the coronavirus precautions taken around RM seems against a trivial apathetic.

Freshman matter.

Nishan Abeywardena One might said, “I’ve heard of point out the confirmed that statistics cases, on the regarding the west, but not outbreak are not so much on as extreme as the East Coast, those of the flu, so I’m not but this fails particularly to recognize worried.” that the Most people coronavirus will not be i s concerned concentrated about a virus in a smaller until it is area of close to home. the earth, However, and is not we ought to yet a virus remember that pervasive symptoms of a GRAPHIC BY CAS NGUYEN virus will not arise until after a throughout the world. latent period of a few days.

Furthermore, despite the high-quality Confirmed cases are a good metric, but care in Wuhan, a developed city, elders and they are simply those which are reported people with health conditions are dying and confirmed by a medical professional. at a concerning rate. While some may This demands vigilance, not apathy. “I argue that the virus is not a direct threat would feel like it poses a danger if there toward healthy individuals, catching the were confirmed cases in closer states, like virus makes those around you extremely Virginia, Pennsylvania, or Washington vulnerable.

DC,” Abeywardena continued. We never In addition, the lack of worry for the know, one such case might arise tomorrow. elderly and children is ethically and morally Protecting yourself against the untenable. There is no excuse for any coronavirus is as simple as preventing the flippancy toward this epidemic. Due to the flu, for now. Wash your hands often, and lack of research regarding this new virus, cover your mouth when sneezing. there is also obviously no vaccine, meaning As of Feb. 10, the death count is up everyone, young and old, is susceptible to over 900, and that’s just what has been to catching the virus. Meanwhile, there is reported. This outbreak came from a lack of realistic concern from the medical field that vigilance and caution about the constantly the coronavirus will evolve into a seasonal mutating virus. We have seen how stifling global illness, like the flu. news of a virus has caused a mass outbreak There is also the rising concern that in China. Let us not make the same mistake.

by Athira Nair SENIOR OPINIONS WRITER

Ebola, SARS, the swine flu: these diseases have all been a source of international fear at one point. When a massive outbreak occurs, the media obsessively covers it for some time before moving onto fresher news. The new hysteria this time around is the COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus, with constant coverage by social media, news outlets, and newspapers that primarily provide clickbait.

Sophomore E u g e n e Kimelman said, “I don’t see why it’s such a hysteria in the U.S. Until we find a way to deal with it, it’s a good idea to be careful, but what people are saying now is ‘oh my god we’re going to die,’ but we’re not.” The Center of Disease C o n t r o l have even announced that the outbreak is not a threat to the a ve r a g e

supposedly “a delicacy” in Wuhan. This video has been confirmed false as it was not even filmed in China, and the soup is not considered a delicacy in the region.

Unfortunately, so much emphasis has been put on where the virus originated from that it has begun to be associated with Chinese people. An article from PRWeek states, “Where most countries in the throngs of a crisis...people attract sympathy and well-wishes online, Chinese people have been subjected to racism and xenophobia.” According to this article as well as one from The G l o b e and Mail, many shops in

Japan a n d Korea have prohibited Chinese people from entering and some Chinese have reported being shunned on the streets.

Rather than providing sympathy, p e o p l e have taken a disdain toward the C h i n e s e because of how the media is portraying the virus.

B y constantly adding words GRAPHIC BY CAS NGUYEN like “quarantine” American. and “outbreak” in the To put the coronavirus in context, in 2015, Ebola was the new disease everyone headlines of the virus articles, the media has was frantic about, and hundreds of news placed an incredibly negative connotation stories covered the latest updates on the disease though the news naturally died down. Even though Ebola is still an issue in some African countries, people have naturally moved on from the incident as it no longer pertains to their daily life.

The same cycle is happening with the coronavirus where people in the US are in hysteria when they have no reason to be.

The novel coronavirus is a serious illness, however, but the media is blowing the problem out of proportion, causing more harm than benefits. The virus is mostly contained in Wuhan, China by quarantine, and hospitals are working day and night to treat patients. Precautionary measures have also been taken in various countries to screen possible infected people and to bring back citizens of their own. Even with all these precautions, the media only wants to emphasize the negative aspects of the virus instead of assuring readers that there isn’t any significant cause for alarm.

These irrational fears are also due to a lack of information on the novel virus.

Due to this, there has been a vast spread of misinformation in the media which causes people to question whether or not what they know is true. Sophomore Rebecca Halper said, “I think it depends on where the media is getting their information from because if it’s from some random person’s social media then that’s not reliable. The media is just trying to stir people up.”

This has already occured when a twitter user shared a video that stated the virus could have spread from bat soup which is

on the problem regardless of who it hurts.

Even students at RM are being impacted by this issue. Sophomore Elizabeth Mai said, “I was in Orange County, California, which has a high Asian population, for the Lunar New Year. When we were coming back, half of the plane had masks on. And there was this one white family who would give my mom this look whenever she coughed.

No one said anything but you could see it in their eyes.” Even though the virus does not intentionally target a certain ethnicity, an irrational fear has arisen that anyone who has Asian features could potentially have the disease.

The severity of the coronavirus shouldn’t be downplayed and it doesn’t hurt to take some modest precautions, but don’t fall into the hysteria because it will only worsen it. Widespread panic will do more harm than good and will cause people to focus only on themselves instead of trying to help those who actually need it.

Just because the coronavirus is so prevalent in the news does not mean the virus is at your doorstep.

G

Gold

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OPINIONS

The Tide

February 2020

The Tide’s View: “American Dirt” unearths white ignorance

by The Tide Editorial Board Released on Jan. 21, “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins was an immediate success, receiving major praise from literary critics and even becoming Oprah’s book club pick. The story, coming at a sensitive time in politics, tells the tale of a mother and her son escaping the drug cartel-infested city of Acapulco, Mexico.

Despite its skyrocketing popularity and a whopping 491 holds in the Montgomery County Public Libraries system, the book has received significant backlash from Latinx readers who claim that it repackages and whitewashes the story of Mexican immigrants.

Not only is the book unoriginal and generally boring, but the author blatantly disrespects the Mexican immigrant story which belongs to Mexican writers, who are severely underpaid despite telling more accurate versions of migrant stories.

Cummins, who officially identifies as white, claimed she aimed to represent the masses ignored by the literary world.

True, the Mexican migrant story is relevant to our modern world, but that does not mean that Cummins, who has never lived even within 500 miles of the border, is the right person to tell it. The belief that a story about minorities needs to be by a white author to be popular is toxic and reveals the underlying issue on who we consider “talented.”

After reading reviews by Ignacio Sanchez Prado, a professor of Latino and Mexican Studies, and Jaime Espinoza, whose family illegally immigrated from Mexico, it is immediately clear that there

is a gross misrepresentation of an immigrant’s journey.

For instance, the mother has difficulty obtaining a legal birth certificate for her son. We, and likely other non-Mexican readers, did not question this fact while reading. However, in Prado’s review, he

and the ridiculous sprinkling of Spanish words. Cummins’ depiction of the drug-infested and violent neighborhoods might have a shade of truth, thanks to her “five years of research,” but they also feed negative stereotypes about Mexico— similar to President Trump’s xenophobic speeches.

The controversy around American Dirt brings light to a much greater issue: the merit of authors writing stories that are not their own— especially in literary genres focusing on cultural or societal oppression.

I n

a time when we are beginning to discuss the diversity of individual experiences, it should naturally

PHOTO BY EMILY ZHAO GRAPHIC BY ARIES WANG follow

explained, “In Mexico, a citizen can go online and request a birth certificate and print it. This certificate is of legal value.”

Even for a non-Mexican reader, some of the author’s choices in the book were laughable like a shooting at a quinceñeara in the first chapter

that our books do the same. Unfortunately, reality is extremely different: The Guardian reported in 2016 that, “the vast majority of books published are by white authors and about white characters,” and a survey of American publishing companies found their staff to

be predominantly white. The sad truth is, when they give a sevenfigure advance for Cummins’ book, they are depending on a loyal American, white readership who flocks for melodramatic action with two-dimensional characters.

While authors such as Cummins attempt to tell the stories of others through research and interviews, the simple reality is that the experience of an outsider will never match a lifetime of first hand exposure. Furthermore, the prevalence of privileged authors writing about experiences of the oppressed and succeeding, while less privileged authors fight just to get their foot in the door of in the publishing world, continues the dangerous narrative that allows the oppressors to profit off the oppressed—a trend rooted in centuries of problematic history.

Though writers should not be prohibited from writing on any topic, the authors with the closest connections to the main topics in a book—in this case, Latinx authors writing stories about migration—must be provided the resources and opportunities to successfully tell their story.

Even though we, as readers and consumers, cannot immediately change the demographics of the publishing world, we still hold the potential to change this narrative through the books we choose to read and publicize. By actively promoting marginalized authors writing about their own experiences, we can improve the potential for not only increased diversity in the book industry, but also reader awareness of the struggles that others face. We choose the books that become timeless.

Leadership workshops lack direction

by Eric Yi OPINIONS WRITER

Supposedly back by popular demand, the Winter 2019 session of the Dale Carnegie Young Adult Leadership Program at Richard Montgomery finally finished at the end of January. Comprising eight weekly classes, the program culminated in a final presentation that allows participants to show off their growth.

Though the program sells itself as the perfect opportunity to sharpen one’s communication, leadership, and social skills, the program is not worth the thousand dollar price tag.

“Once the program is over, the majority of students quickly forget what they practiced.”

First of all, the program’s required classes are timeconsuming, which can interfere with the busy life of a RM student who has to already handle school, work, and numerous

other extracurriculars. Senior Ayesha Khawaja, a Dale Carnegie program alumna, said, “I remember that while I was doing it, I hated it because it was four hours a week, and it was a huge time commitment.”

For the high price, Dale Carnegie also does not teach students enough. Some classes dwell on trivial topics, such as ways to remember people’s names, that most students can learn from a quick YouTube video for free.

Additionally, half of every class is spent practicing speech delivery. Each student will come to the front of the class and deliver a two-minute speech to the audience, and the instructor will provide feedback. Though the feedback is helpful, students spend the majority of each class listening to other people’s presentations, allowing for less time to develop necessary leadership skills.

Consequently, Dale Carnegie begins to feel more like a public speaking class rather than a leadership program. Despite the fact that communication is vital for strong leadership, the program fails to emphasize other areas or skills required of leadership, such as improvisation. Khawaja said, “[Improvisation] is a big thing that we didn’t practice in Dale Carnegie that I think is a really big part of leadership, which is being

able to think on your feet and adapt to a new situation really quickly.”

“I don’t necessarily thing leadership workshops will teach you anything you don’t already know.”

- Ayesha Khawaja Admittedly, leadership workshops such as the Dale Carnegie program can be effective for some because they provide an opportunity to practice important soft skills like communication.

However, once the program is over, the majority of students quickly forget what they’ve practiced in the program. This is especially true for the many who are dragged unwillingly into participating in the first place after their parents sign them up. Ultimately, leadership workshops are only valuable if the participants regularly practice the concepts learned in the program in their everyday lives.

“I don’t necessarily think that

leadership workshops will teach you anything you don’t already know, but it will illuminate some things you don’t often think about.” Khawaja said. “It’s more of a subtle, subconscious thing that you keep using whenever you have to do anything related to leadership.”

Perhaps instead of trying to learn directly about leadership from such a workshop, students can actually gain better leadership training when they apply it both directly and indirectly throughout their extracurricular activities and their school classes. For example, clubs such as mock trial and debate provide direct opportunities to practice public speaking outside of formal workshops, and group projects in classes often provide the resources to develop interpersonal skills. While the idea behind leadership workshops is admirable, when put into practice, at least for high school students, it unfortunatelymay not be particularly effective. Given the high price and time commitment, leadership workshops feel like a waste.

However, if the price were lowered and the curriculum refined, then leadership workshops may be a beneficial resource for kids who lack those skills. When asked to sum up Dale Carnegie, Khawaja said, “It was a good class but I don’t think I would do it again.”

Two Cents

by Ashley Ye OPINIONS EDITOR

Paris syndrome: a condition of extreme emotional distress some tourists, particularly Japanese travelers, experience when they visit Paris, France for the first time; when they realize Paris does not match its unrealistically perfect media portrayal, they break down.

Though it is very rare—less than 20 cases per year—and definitely an extreme, it reflects a more common phenomenon: romanticization.

Romanticization refers to the idealization of people, experiences, time periods or anything that can be glamorized. Though it may not be immediately apparent, it can be seen in many aspects of our society, ranging from celebrity crushes to dream schools.

Though romanticization stems from admiration, it tends to create tunnel vision: creating a skewed perception and unrealistic expectations, which can lead to mild disappointment at best or derealization at worst.

Consequently, I urge you to be more conscious of hints of romanticization in your life.

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on things I have romanticized in the past: places, people, conditions.

But my most prominent example would be with RM’s IB Program.

In seventh grade, I became obsessed with IB. I spent the majority of my free time researching everything I could about the program, stalking IB meme pages and daydreaming about my life would be like as an IB student. I convinced myself that if I joined RM’s IB program, my life would be perfect.

But, when I arrived at RM, I quickly learned it wasn’t what I expected: the workload I romanticized was actually exhausting, and the comprehensive curriculum I anticipated was stiffened by layers of red tape. Though RM was definitely an upgrade from middle school, I did not reach the paradise I thought I would.

I eventually realized the main reason for my disappointment was that I associated IB with an idealized version of myself and expected IB to magically transform me into her. I can’t depend on something else to make me happy: I have to do it myself.

In the end, I’m incredibly grateful for this experience— the people I met, t h e m e m o r i e s I made but most importantly, the lessons I’ve learned.

With college s o o n approaching, I remind myself to stay cognizant.

Romanticization isn’t inherently toxic, but selfawareness is crucial; after all, you don’t want to experience a paradigm shift in Paris. GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

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Castellanos trae harmonía al campo de fútbol por Maria Alba ESCRITOR DE NOTICIAS

Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis es una estrella de clase mundial en el juego de fútbol.

Castellanos nació el 18 de abril en 1999. Ella ha estado jugando futbol desde que empezó a los 5 años en su ciudad natal, Maracay, Venezuela.

Al principio, su padre no la quería dejar jugar porque pensaba que el fútbol era un deporte exclusivamente para hombres, pero eventualmente la dejo jugar.

Ella entrenó en la academia de Juan Arango, y ganó bastante popularidad cuando jugó por el equipo nacional de Venezuela en 2014 cuando terminaron cuartas en la FIFA Copa Mundial de Mujeres.

En 2016, la aceptaron en la Universidad Estatal de Florida para jugar en las Florida State Seminoles.

Ella fue una de tres finalistas escogidas para el premio de la mejor mujer jugadora de la FIFA en 2017. También fue una de las tres finalistas para el premio FIFA Puskas para el gol del año en 2017.

Deyna es muy joven, pero aun a logrado tantas cosas en su carrera, y ha inspirado, y esperamos que continúe inspirando, a mucha gente.

Deyna Castellanos inspira a mucha gente sobre todo el mundo, y específicamente, las mujeres.

Con todo el estigma rodeando las deportistas femeninas (que afortunadamente hay menos a medida de que la sociedad progresa), es muy importante tener una figura como Deyna Castellanos porque ella le puede dar mucha esperanza a niñas de todas edades, en todo el mundo,

y impulsarlas a lograr sus sueños.

El fútbol es un juego adorado por millones de personas, una de estas siendo Sofia Molina, una estudiante en Richard Montgomery. “Fútbol es el juego más importante para mi. La primera vez que toqué la pelota supe que era lo adecuado para mi. Tengo una meta para fútbol y es que quiero ser una jugadora. Es mi sueño. Deyna Castellanos me inspira y yo la respeto mucho.”

“Castellanos me inspira y yo la respeto mucho.”

- Sofia Molina

Deyna no solamente inspira a las mujeres en el tema del fútbol, pero las inspira en todos sentidos.

Alba Saberbein, estudiante aqui en Richard Montgomery dice, “Me inspira demasiado especialmente con el machismo contra las mujeres hoy en día. Me hace sentir que yo puedo lograr lo que sea y más, mientras que me lo propongo con todo. Ella inspira a las mujeres a ser independiente y fuerte.”

La imagen que las mujeres tienen de Deyna es una muy poderosa y de admiración y respeto. Esto es algo muy importante no solamente para Sofia y Alba, pero para mujeres de todas edades y nacionalidades.

Los Latinos somos muy conocidos por tener futbol muy bueno, y por nuestro amor del deporte. Este deporte es extremadamente especial para los Latinos y sirve como un

vínculo entre nosotros. Es una parte de nuestra cultura que ha ayudado a crear una unidad y representación de los Latinos muy gloriosa, y Deyna no hace nada sino contribuir a este amor y pasión que los latinos tenemos por el fútbol.

Amantes del fútbol incluye gente como Shahin Sánchez, quien dice, “Viendo alguien que nació se crió en mi país y que creció viendo y amando este deporte como yo, y que ahora se ha convertido en un héroe para tantas personas me da mucha esperanza para el futuro.”

El fútbol crea grandes sentimientos para mucha gente que ama el deporte como Juan Amaya, otro estudiante en Richard Montgomery que también aprecia mucho el fútbol. Él dice, “Este deporte ha sido parte de mi vida y me ha dado momentos increíbles que voy a apreciar para siempre.” También habla sobre el impacto que el fútbol ha tenido en su vida, diciendo, “Ayudado a convertirme en la persona que soy y en quien voy a ser, ya que me ha permitido ganar confianza, crear nuevas amistades, e ingerir papeles de liderazgo sólidos.”

Otro estudiante, Zain Ahmad, dice, “[El fútbol es] muy importante en mi vida y me conecta con otras personas de todo el mundo. También me da una salida para relajarme un poco y olvidarme de la escuela.”

Incluso dice que “aunque no tenga ninguna conexión con ella, creo que es realmente bueno que el fútbol sea un deporte tan diverso con hombres y mujeres jugando.”

Castellanos representa a la cultura latina y su país nativo, y eso apasiona a muchos Latinos, especialmente a los Venezolanos.

Con toda la discriminación que

muchos Latinos sienten en los Estados Unidos, y las dificultades que muchos están enfrentando en sus países nativos, teniendo una persona tan inspiradora como Castellanos da mucha esperanza.

Incluso inspira a muchos estudiantes aquí en Richard Montgomery. Sánchez, un nativo de Venezuela, habla un poco sobre cómo se siente cuando ve a Castellanos representando a Venezuela y la comunidad latina. Dice, “Yo nací y me crié en Venezuela, que es un sitio en que el éxito le viene a muy pocas personas. Viendo a alguien como Deyna Castellanos logrando sus sueños y rompiendo barreras sociales y económicas me trae mucha felicidad.”

Especialmente en un país donde nosotros somos la minoridad, tener a alguien como Deyna Castellanos representandonos es muy importante. No solamente para que los latinos se sientan bien, pero también para disminuir muchos estereotipos que la gente tiene de los Latinos, y demostrar la buenas

mujeres, pero también representa la comunidad latina, demostrando esfuerzo y talento.”

Adicionalmente, Sofia Molina dice que “Deyna es muy talentosa,y me encanta que hay una latina tan exitosa como ella. Me enseña que latinas como yo podemos ser algo extraordinario.”

Castellanos le da esperanza a las mujeres de todas edades sobre todo el mundo y les enseña que pueden hacer lo que quieran si se esfuerzan. Incluso le da mucha fe a los latinos que están enfrentados con situaciones difíciles, y es un símbolo de fuerza, y unidad.

cualidades q u e tenemos. Alba Saberbein menciona que “Deyna no solo inspira a las

GRÁFICO POR ARIES WANG

Shakira y Jennifer Lopez brillan en el superbowl por Hannah Levy ESCRITORA DE NOTICIAS

Desde el juego hasta los anuncios, el Super Bowl siempre deja la audiencia con algo de que hablar.

Este año, fue el show de medio tiempo que cautivó la atención de todos, provocando alabanza por la representación latina así como crítica hacia Jennifer Lopez y Shakira por apoyar el NFL y actuar en una manera que algunos espectadores sintieron que no era apropiada para un evento tan ampliamente visto como esto— el show de medio tiempo es el evento anual más visto en los Estados Unidos, atrayendo a 103 millones de espectadores este año.

“Aumentar la representación Latina es bueno.”

- Amanda Baranick

Algunos espectadores elogiaron el show por ser un homenaje a la cultura latina. Lopez y Shakira

fueron las dos primeras latinas de titular el show y ellas invitaron al cantante puertorriqueño Bad Bunny y cantante colombiano J Balvin a presentarse con ellas.

Shakira comenzó el show con un “Hola Miami” que fue solo el comienzo de la representación cultural latina.

Shakira y J Balvin realizaron algunos de sus canciones en español, incluyendo “Mi Gente” y “Chantaje,” y muchos de los bailes realizados provienen directamente de países hispanohablantes.

En el medio del show, Shakira entró al escenario con una bandera de doble cara—por un lado estaba la bandera puertorriqueña y por el otro lado estaba la bandera de los estados unidos.

Esta muestra de apoyo al territorio que fue devastado recientemente por un terremoto hizo llorar a muchos espectadores.

Las dos mujeres también mostraron su solidaridad con la comunidad latina en los estados unidos que actualmente está luchando con las políticas contra la inmigración; un grupo de niños latinos se sentó en jaulas y cantó la canción “Nacido en los Estados Unidos.”

A pesar de esta innovadora representación latina en lo

GRÁFICO POR ANNABELLE SARGENT

que generalmente es un show predominantemente blanco, muchos espectadores estaban enojados porque Shakira y López optaron por apoyar el NFL al aceptar esta actuación.

Desde que el NFL fue acusado de arruinar la carrera de Colin Kaepernick por arrodillarse durante el himno nacional en protesta por el racismo y la brutalidad policial, muchos espectadores e intérpretes han condenado al NFL, negándose a ver sus juegos o actuar en sus shows.

Amanda Baranick, de onceavo grado, dice, “Aunque el esfuerzo de aumentar la representación Latina sea buena haciéndolo con una organización que ha priorizado sus ganancias económicas en vez de defender a las víctimas de abuso de los jugadores, defender a Kaepernick con su esfuerzo contra la brutalidad policial me parece malo.”

Shakira y Jennifer Lopez dieron un espectáculo único e impresionante y ayudaron a llamar la atención sobre temas poco discutidos en los EE. UU. No importa lo que piense, todos podemos estar de acuerdo en que este fue un show memorable que no has dado mucho en que pensar.

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February 2020

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Friday, March 6 7 p.m. in Auditorium Tickets: $7 for pre-sale, $10 at the door Michael Thomas

Justin Tang

Mr. Time Favorite movie: The Lego Batman Movie Favorite RM memory: boms with the boys With 10 million dollars: Spending it all on the lottery so I can double my money Interesting fact: I do not have the coronavirus

Mr. Bohemian Free time activities: Actiually, my time isn’t free. I charge 70 dollars an hour.

Inspiration: Me, myself and Jay-Z Favorite RM memory: Tech Week for The Addams Family With 10 million dollars: I would give away most of it, like 70%, to help others in need. No cap.

Camber Vincent

Ethan Kwan

Mr. Kimchi With $10 million: I would first use the money to start a puppy cuddling business where people can come in and play with puppies for fun. Then after that I would put the rest of the money into BIB to get that ball rolling!!

Favorite movie: Mulan Favorite RM memory: playing hacky sack at lunch every day throughout senior year. Roll Sack Baby!!

Christian Rivera

Mr. Que Pedo Theme song: The Suite Life of Zac and Cody Go-to after school snack: Lunchables with the good type of juice Inspiration: My dad Favorite TikTok Dance: The ranague

Mr. TikTok Inspiration: Joe DC or Marvel: I don’t really know who deesey and morval are but they should stop fighting With 10 million dollars: Make 93,458 TikToks with Charli Damelio (cause she charges 107 dollars per video) Favorte Tik Tok Dance: all of them

Kevin Hrozencik

Mr. Connected Inspiration: Patrick Wainwright In 20 years: Flexing on my kids about how I won homecoming king when I was 17 Favorite RM Memory: Being chased by Mr. Monteleone on his longboard Is cereal a soup: Absolutely not, soup is a liquid dish made by boiling veggies, you don’t boil milk

Matthew Giantelli

Mr. Italiano Interesting fact: I once ate a three eight ounce patty burger in under 20 minutes Is cereal a soup?: Yes because milk is the broth and it’s got something solid in the broth Favorite movie: Spider-Man homecoming, Tom Holland is a cutie and it’s really well written Free time: I practice baking, I draw cartoon characters for my cousins, I participate in organized crime, and I work on recipes with pasta

Eddie Rizkalla

Mr. Rizkillinit With $10 million dollars: Donate to poor children and families in Egypt. The organization is called Coptic Orphans.

Favorite pizza topping: Pepperoni, chicken, onions and peppers Free time activities: cooking, hanging out with friends, go on walks and hikes, watch movies and making a positive impact in the community Inspiration: My mom and grandma

Rob Kearns

Logan Turner-Mannix

Mr. LGBT Theme song: Bohemian Rhapsody In 20 years: Hopefully putting on a successful art exhibition and publishing journals about the news around the world.

Inspiration: Lin-Minuel Miranda Is cereal a soup: Ummmm, I don’t like most soups, but I like cereal, so if cereal was a soup I don’t think would like it, so no cereal is not a soup.

Graphics by: Caleb Collins, Valerie Wang Photo by: Joyce Milandu

Freddie Martinez

Eric Hall

Mr. Bust A Move Favorite pizza topping: DOUBLE cheese Theme song: Party in the USA Favorite RM Memory: Making it to the state semifinals for basketball Favotite TikTok dance: The Woah

Mr. Smilez Is cereal a soup: No it is not. Because soup is hot and cereal is not, simple math my g.

Interesting fact: I have 8 animals With 10 million dollars: Invest in 5 million, buyout chipotle, then ball out with the rest dawg Favorite movie: Interstellar

Tudor R. Postolache

Mr. Marquee Free time activities: I take a dive into a sea of Netflix Is cereal a soup: No, not until it gets off its butt and puts in the work, we can all be soup if we truly fight for that honor, if we believe in ourselves, if we fight to be the change we want in the world! Until then we are all just soggy bowls of cereal…

Favorite pizza topping: Pineapple... (fight me) Favorite movie: “Swiss Army Man”

Mr. Amphibious In 20 years: I’m definitely going to be a crazy mountain man Go-to after school snack: Flavor blasted goldfish Favorite RM memory: That one time it was 40 degrees in the school, maybe not favorite, but definitely most memorable.

With 10 million dollars: Buy a lake and live on an island in the middle of it

Pranav Tadikonda

Mr. Bollywood Favorite TikTok dance: “All I Want for Christmas/ Crank That (Soulja Boy)” Interesting fact: I’ve been to India nine times, so might as well call me the Bollywood hero of the West.

DC or Marvel: DC all the way because Marvel has taken over the cinematic industry. DC is so underrated and has so many cool stories that construct its intricate universe. Also Arrow is a tuff show.

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FEATURES

February 2020

RMBC cast shines the spotlight on school news

by Delaney Crawley SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

Most RM students watch the morning announcements, given that their teachers turn it on every morning. However, what many may not know about RMBC is that it is an actual class that anyone can take. A lot of work goes into producing the daily broadcast, and so much goes on behind the scenes before everyone around the school receives their morning news everyday at 8:30 a.m.

Although Eric Rodney teaches the class, the show is very “by students, for students.” “If I wasn’t in the studio for a day, the kids would know exactly what to do and how to do it to produce a show,” Mr. Rodney said.

On a normal day, the crew goes into the studio, sets up the cameras, mics and lights, turns on the classic greenscreen, change into coordinating outfits for on-air talent and runs through at least two or three practices before the live broadcast.

The live news does not just

magically appear on Promethean boards around the school. The camera operator, the teleprompter operator, the sound operator, the technical director, the overall director and the talent are all vital parts of the process. Most of the positions are self-explanatory from their names, but they all have vastly different jobs to carry out.

Just one camera operator must take care of the all filming and has to ensure that the three cameras stay in focus for the entirety of the show. One camera focuses on the female talent, one on the male and one in the center

when cued, and ensure that any audio being played matches with what is seen on the screen. “If I don’t see it, I don’t want to hear it,” Mr. Rodney said.

The technical director has a board and computer dedicated to them and their position. They not only make sure things are being shown on the screen at the right times and matches up with the sound, but also must quickly play any pre-recorded videos, such as the Pledge of Allegiance that students see at the start of each show.

The talent must stick to the script, which is written everyday before the show. The teleprompter operator displays the script from a reverse mirror that only the talent can see. The talent and teleprompter operator must work with each other and coordinate so that everything runs smoothly.

Everybody reads at different speeds, so the teleprompter operator also has the task of constantly readjusting the speed of the script GRAPHIC BY CHRISTINA TANG based on the speed that the talent is reading at.

While all this is happening, on both. They have to effectively the director has a headset on switch between cameras when and is able to converse with appropriate as well. both the technical director and The sound operator must be camera operator to prevent any playing attention at all times. mistakes from happening while They play background music on air. All of the crewmembers

have experience in each role, given that they rotate jobs every two weeks, but they do have favorites. “I definitely do like the talent position better than others.

I just like being on camera,” said sophomore Giev Batmanglich, the

“I definitely think this is one of the best courses at RM because it’s so student-run.”

- Mr. Rodney current male talent.

Often, clubs, administration or the SGA will send in videos to be aired on RMBC. The crew must choose which videos to play, and this usually has to do with the length or the level of urgency of the video. While the technical director plays any pre-recorded videos, the male and female talent have some time to prepare for their next segment. However, the camera operator must stay alert because they have to signal to the talent when to start and stop talking.

The students use lingo that would be found in a real-world

studio and do not leave room for errors, but they still joke around with each other off the air. “Mr. Rodney makes RMBC so fun,” Batmanglich said. Although the studio has a no-nonsense environment, off-camera, the students are comfortable with each other and work well together, to the point where their interactions are natural and lighthearted. “I definitely think this is one of the best courses at RM because it’s so student-run,” Mr. Rodney said.

To take the class, students do not need any experience at all.

A student can come in knowing nothing about studio production, and by the end of two weeks, they will have mastered their job before moving onto the next. “I train new students with on-thejob training,” Mr. Rodney said.

The best way to learn is through experience, and after Mr. Rodney carefully explains what to do, it is up to the students themselves to carry out their assigned roles.

More experienced students often help out when needed.

Students must work together and collaborate with one another for the entire year in order to put on the daily broadcast. It does not take just one person or one position to run the show; it requires every single person in the studio to deliver to the students and staff around the school the information they need.

Making, not breaking, resolutions

by Natalie Weger

by Claire Chen FEATURES WRITER

At Richard Montgomery, students have the benefit of open lunch. During this time, many travel to the nearby Ritchie Center to dine at the vast range of restaurants. A popular place that RM kids frequently visit is Jumbo Jumbo.

W h e n customers first walk into Jumbo Jumbo, they are greeted with a warm, cozy atmosphere the GRAPHIC BY and smell JANET CHOI AND faint cooked KISHA YAN of c h i c k e n coming from the kitchen. The homey orange walls also add to one’s enjoyable experience.

Besides a pleasant ambiance, Jumbo Jumbo also offers a large selection of food including noodles, fried rice, chicken and soup. In addition, the cafe sells bubble tea, with “jumbo” bubbles!

The bubble tea is a favorite among many RM students, especially since the costs are relatively low, ranging from four to six dollars.

Freshman Alyssa Crouch is an avid Jumbo Jumbo customer.

“The wonton soup is really good, and the sweet and sour chicken is good too. My favorite drink is chocolate milk tea with no

bubbles,” she said.

Now, Jumbo Jumbo may have some competition. Recently, another restaurant opened right in the heart of Ritchie Center. On Feb. 7, Ding Tea officially opened its doors to the city of Rockville, attracting many curious visitors in the area. In a few hours, customers were posting about Ding Tea on social media and spreading the news to others.

A possible reason why people were interested in Ding Tea was the inviting atmosphere. Ding Tea takes on a cool, modern style. The shop has clean white walls with twinkling lights illuminating the space, creating a bright and happy feeling for its customers.

At Ding Tea, they offer a variety of beverages, such as bubble tea, milk tea, coffee, matcha and yogurt. They experiment with new, innovative flavors like Cactus green tea, Hokkaido milk tea and French iced tea. They even have an option to add golden, honey-flavored boba bubbles.

Similar to Jumbo Jumbo, Ding Tea sells its products at low prices, from three to five dollars a drink on average. Some of Ding Tea’s drinks even sell for less than Jumbo Jumbo’s. This raises an important question: Will Jumbo Jumbo lose student customers to Ding Tea? Some students may stick to their tried-and-true Jumbo Jumbo cafe. Other students, like junior Bright Mulusa, think otherwise.

When asked about possibly dining at Ding Tea, Mulusa said, “I’m interested. I’m open to trying new things.”

FEATURES WRITER

At the start of the new year, people across the nation set out to achieve their often ambitious New Year’s resolutions. However, 80 percent of people give up on their goals for the new year by mid-February, according to U.S. News & World Report. Despite this trend, many RM students have managed to stick with their resolutions so far.

Common student New Year’s resolutions include improving grades, boosting athletic performance, living a healthier lifestyle and impacting others.

Sophomore Maegan Evans wants to focus on this fourth category because she feels that it is important to be considerate towards others. “One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be a better version of myself and be better to people in general. I want to treat people with respect and see the best in every person,” she said.

Evans plans on achieving her resolution by not jumping to conclusions and phrasing her words differently. “Instead of being mad with someone, I’ll just have love and show compassion and understanding for that person,” she said.

Similarly, health teacher John Fahrner’s resolution relates to positively affecting people’s lives.

“I want to get to know as many students as I can and I want to be an impact player in their life.

A teacher has to be a reacher and I’ve been reaching kids for 42 years,” Mr. Fahrner said.

In contrast, some RM students

want to achieve more personal goals this year. “I want to be more committed in my sports and try to devote more time for that. I plan to do more vigorous workouts and bring my speed up so it can help me all around,” sophomore Kai Ghebrehiwet said.

Junior Elias Applebaum also seeks self-improvement by bettering his work habits and daily productivity. “I want to have more efficiency in life and be more pragmatic about the way I schedule things. I want to get things done faster, get more sleep this year and just be my best self,” Applebaum said.

Although it is fairly easy to set a New Year’s resolution, the hard part is actually sticking with it throughout the entire year.

It takes a lot of motivation and tenacity to achieve a New Year’s resolution, which is why most people give up in the process.

“I think if I have the support from my teammates, my coach and my family, it will definitely make it much easier,” Ghebrehiwet said.

According to Mr. Fahrner, a smart way to achieve a New Year’s resolution is by setting short-term goals. “If I have short-term goals that are in line with my lifetime goals, then it will all fit and make sense,” he said. Short-term goals help people achieve one thing at a time, which eventually leads to

ultimate success.

Mr. Fahrner also draws motivation from his past successes with students. He believes that people need to come into a new year with a growth mindset. “It’s almost the secret of life. I begin with the end in mind,” he said.

There are many ways to achieve a New Year’s resolution, but what causes 80 percent of the population to give up anyway?

According to Psychology Today, a common reason for failed resolutions is unrealistic expectations. People set the bar on themselves too high and abandon their goals when they realize they are not achievable within a certain time.

Applebaum believes that New Year’s resolutions are more achievable when people set goals according to what they want to do. “Don’t make your goal somebody else’s goal.

Just go for whatever you want to do and whatever you feel is your calling,” Applebaum said.

GRAPHIC Despite the

BY EVELYN many obstacles SHUE that come with achieving a New Year’s resolution, many RM students believe that anyone can accomplish their goals with the right mindset. “Don’t let anybody get in your head and tell you that you can’t do it because anything is possible and you just have to believe,” Evans said.

FEATURES

The Tide

February 2020

13

Spoon Assassin stirs up friendly competition

by Paris Ye SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

In the halls of RM, students can be found chasing others with spoons. This is not as abnormal of a scene as it may seem; this is a part of the game Spoon Assassin, an IB tradition that has lasted for many years.

IB students play this game within their grade and fight to be the last one standing. Players eliminate other students by ‘killing’ them, which is actually tapping them with a spoon.

“Everyone gets a spoon, and it makes a giant loop, and everyone has a spoon with someone else’s name on them. Everyone is hunting a target and being hunted,” freshman Samantha Wu, the winner of the freshmen’s first game, said.

Players are assigned a target by being given a spoon that has their target’s name on it. Once “dead,” players must give their spoon to their assassin. Once an assassin receives their victim’s spoon, the victim’s old target becomes their new target.

One aspect that makes these otherwise simple rules more complex are the ‘safeties.’ While a player is performing the safety for the day, their assassin is unable to kill them. The safety changes daily and can be anything, including doing actions, holding objects or wearing certain clothing.

Senior Ishaan Oberoi, the organizer of the seniors’ most recent game, was in charge of choosing the safeties for the seniors’ games. “One of the safeties was you had to hold hands with somebody else while you were in the hallway in order to be safe, or you had to have a stuffed animal on you,” Oberoi said.

However, rather than using the safeties to make his classmates embarrass themselves in front of each other, Oberoi tries to encourage support among the IB seniors. Examples include coming to swim senior night and the Black Maskers’ One Acts Festival. “People want [these safeties] as seniors; we want to be recognized for what we’ve been putting a lot of hard work into.

Having our peers come out for that sort of stuff is nice support, so I try to make it a very inclusive environment,” he said.

Although winners only win bragging rights and the ability to organize the next round, the game can get competitive. Sophomore Ryleigh Culligan helped organize the sophomore game and believed the competition was one of the elements that made the game so enjoyable. She said, “I feel like IB students are pretty competitive.

You give them a fun game, then, it’s just a good outlet for that.”

However, because of this competition, some may take the game too seriously, and the game can get intense. Culligan said, “People will form alliances and lie to their friends and go behind their backs. People will make spreadsheets to figure out who has who.”

Sophomore Connor Palansky, who also helped organize the sophomore game, emphasized a similar sentiment. “When we say it’s a game, some people forget that. It’s basically just glorified tag with spoons and safeties,” Palansky said.

The purpose of Spoon Assassin is not to add extra stress to the players, but rather do the opposite: release the stress of the IB program. Culligan said, “[Spoon Assassin] makes you excited to go to school every day.

Whereas instead of just dreading your six tests, you’re like, ‘you know what, I’m gonna kill my target today.’”

Sophomore Elena Berman introduced the game to her classmates during her freshman year and organized their first game. She learned about the game from her sister, an alumnus of the IB program who graduated in 2019. “The reason I [organized the first Spoon Assassin game] is because my sister helped organize for her grade.

She helped to organize for her year when she was a

they’re like, ‘I’m going to carry down the tradition.’”

Oberoi has not seen a single IB class in his four years at RM that has not played the game. He loves the plain fun of it, believing that as the reason it has lasted so long. “It’s fun to run around and try to kill people. I’ve seen at least five sprints up that hallway or that hallway and up and down staircases, so it’s been pretty fun to play,” Oberoi said.

The different ways people interpret the safeties make the game even more entertaining.

Sophomore Moiz Uddin, the winner of the sophomore’s first game, references the unique problem solving of one of his competitors as a highlight of his game.

U d d i n s a i d , “One of the safeties was to put freshman, your head so she was against the like, ‘it’s a wall and tradition, you’re y o u safe. [My should classmate] taped a do it,’ wall to her head.” and so As a freshman, I did Wu appreciated it.” that Spoon Assassin Even to was a part of her the organizers introduction to the of the game, it is IB program. “I think unclear as to when the it’s a very bonding tradition first began o r experience, especially where it came from. None of at the beginning of the the organizers have taught any year when you don’t of the younger classes about really know anybody the game. Despite this, Palansky yet. It makes people believes the game will continue to more comfortable with pass down as it has been: “There’s each other when they’re going to be a person like Elena hunting each other for was last year who had a sibling some reason. It’s a very who did fun and inclusive it, and GRAPHIC BY KAT CHEN game.”

Dual enrollment students gain college credits

by Julie Yeo SENIOR FEATURES WRITER

Getting tired of useless electives? Running out of AP courses to take? Trying to get ahead in life? The dual enrollment program offered by Montgomery College allows high school students to take both college and high school courses at the same time. Here at RM, a handful of students opt to participate in this program every year.

For senior Alex Concaugh, a typical school day starts at RM in the morning, but after lunch every day he heads to MC for his Calculus 2 and English 103 classes.

Finishing up around 2 p.m., Concaugh heads back to RM for after-school track practice.

“It’s definitely shorter, but the workload kind of makes up for it,” Concaugh said. “You definitely get a lot more work at the MC classes.”

For many students, dual enrollment is appealing because it gives them a chance to get used to a college work environment before entering college. In addition, the program allows students to earn college credits that may be transferred to their future school, so that when they enter college, they are already

well on their way to fulfilling their graduation requirements.

“It gives you like a huge jumpstart because you get so many free credits. It’s not free. I shouldn’t say free. But it’s a little more expensive than an AP test, so in the long run it helps out,” Concaugh said.

As Concaugh says, dual enrollment is not free. While MC does not charge tuition fees to MCPS students w h o are dually

finish her afternoon schedule at RM. Some students even decide to take all seven RM classes and then attend an MC class after school. This flexibility allows dual enrollment students to choose a schedule that works best for them.

With a wide range of classes not typically offered at the high school level, dual enrollment allows students to take classes that they are truly interested in. “I really liked

GRAPHIC BY SLAVENA PEYCHINOVA

enrolled during the fall and spring terms, students are responsible for fees and textbooks relating to the course they enroll in. Students can also apply for a need-based grant if they are in need of financial assistance.

Scheduling for dual enrollment students can vary. This semester, senior Ella Giammo opted to take two online MC classes, Intro to Political Science and International Relations, in the morning and

my Introduction to Business class.

I felt like it was really applicable to real life. I was actually learning how to deal with personal finances and how it affects the real world and the economy as a whole. I thought that was really interesting,” Giammo said.

Some students use this program as an opportunity to experiment with their studies. Giammo had always wanted to pursue a career as an engineer, however she also

had interests outside of STEM, including history and politics.

Through dual enrollment, she was able to explore some of these interests before college. “It turns out that I really like them, so I’m not really sure what I’m gonna do with information,” Giammo said.

Dual enrollment might not be for everyone, though. One point emphasized by many dual enrollment students is that transportation between campuses can be tricky without a car.

Additionally, possible limitations of parking nearby could potentially cause issues for students who need to transport themsevles to and from a dual enrollment program.

“You really do need a car to do this, if you wanted to do it effectively. You can do the RideOn but that’s just way too hard to consistently have a good schedule,” Concaugh said.

However, another option for students without their own car is taking online MC classes. “I would recommend online classes to kids who think they can actually like, be serious with yourself,” Giammo said. “But if you can actually motivate [yourself] to listen to all the lectures and read the whole textbook and that kind of stuff, go for online classes.”

Interviews by Victoria Koretsky FEATURES WRITER

Florence Zhang, freshman “Cooking with them would be super fun and then we’ll eat and cuddle and all that sappy romantic stuff. Or taking me to Harry Potter world works too.”

Feileen Li, sophomore “Hanging out all of February 13, and then at 2 AM on Valentine’s Day, we go to an all-night diner.

After, we go on a mini road-trip in an SUV and we take small stops.

Then, after dusk, we stop and lay out blankets and look at the stars.”

Meth Munasinghe, senior “My third period, because that’s when chemistry really begins.”

GRAPHICS BY KAT CHEN

Mr. Gandhi, Chemistry teacher “We watch movies, just hang out and then we go for a walk.

Then we have a nice dinner where we cook breakfast for dinner together. It’s a tradition we have, this will be our third year in a row. We always try to use different recipes, so we’ll try and cook something old and something new.”

Michelle Wong, freshman “Taking a trip to the harbor or beach boardwalk, since it’s a fun place to be. Plus, it’s not as basic as just a movie or getting lunch, and there’s so much to do there!”

Sarah Saeed, senior “Doing basic things like giving flowers, going out to dinner, and staying out late. Or going to s e e a movie and then going home; basically anything that allows me to spend more time with them. If I had to go for something bigger, probably something involving travel, like going to an expensive city for the night, that would be awesome!”

May Soemin, junior “Going to an art gallery and then the botanical gardens because #RespectTheGreens.”

Devlin Mangan, freshman “Staying at home with homemade food watching movies on the couch with popcorn, or going to a fair and playing carnival games with my date and at sunset we go on the Ferris Wheel.”

Justin Tang, senior “Walking out on a nice day by the shore and watching the sunset. And buying chocolate on sale the next day.”

14

The Tide

To Clare, my favorite clone-thanks for the film days. To Ashley, my expert column writer-- thanks for being the best co-editor. To Helen, my go-to depressant-- send me your short story!! To the gangoffive-- love as always <3 Emily Zhao, senior Natalie and Izzy - I love you guys!! Thank you for being amazing friends, that’s it. You’re the most supportive, wonderful people I know <3 Grace Burwell, junior This is a shout-out to all my good friends out there who make me feel happy and loved every single day. You guys are crazy but I love spending them with you and I appreciate you all so much :) Marcela Ferrufino, freshman To ALL my friends (Sarah M. this means you too), thank you for loving and supporting me everyday! I feel so proud to have loving friends like you, and I can’t thank you all enough for all of the wonderful things you do for me and for each other!

Happy Valentine’s Day :) Matthew Adjodha, sophomore Thank you for endlessly challenging me and supporting me.

You have been the one of the biggest blessing in my life since the moment you entered it. Thank you for being the family I never had. I love you Natalia!

Nicole Yanakiev, senior Congratulations and happy Valentines Day to all involved in this year’s One Acts. Break a leg with Lend me a Tenor.

Mr. Rodney, staff Rachel- Thank you so much for being literally the best friend ever. I know it has been hard adjusting to a new school and country but you have been amazing through the whole process.

Katie Moorer, freshman Sending my love to all of my friends; you’re the best! <3 (and I guess Elizabeth Tran too) Elizabeth Mao, senior Thank you for impromptu movie nights in Bruno, cooking disasters, endless blackberry cartons, millions of playlists, a stack of your favorite books, the best earrings, and your unconditional support. Te quiero, a pesar de que siempre te comes mis chocolates.

Ashley

February 2020

Guevara, senior kevin huang ni shi ke ai ^-^ wo ai ni <33333 ni shi wo de shuai zhong guo ren :)) Danesh Sivakumar, junior Happy loving Valentine’s Day Helen Gu (Hellllen Geller) LOL Christina Tang, junior Ashley Shmashley -- love of my life. Vickie Schmickie -- bestest of them all. Mather -- the swaggiest YOLO. Rosie Posie -wonderful angel.

Lydia Wei, senior Dear Raha, I am so happy that I met you this year! You are an amazing tutee and an even better friend. I am so proud of your growth and can’t wait to see what you can accomplish next. Keep on smiling!

XOXO Jasmine Jasmine Pham, senior I CAN NOT express how much I love my best friends Victoria and Tony. Forever the three musketeers of AP Government.

You have both been there to have random 2 am FaceTime calls and many fun/wild adventures with me. Through thick and thin you’re both the best.

Albury Ward, junior To all the friends I have gained over these past four years (I don’t want to list because there are so many people and I’ll forget someone, but you know who you are): I love you guys so much. Thank you for making my high school experience special.

Stephanie Wang, senior Shoutout to Laura for going through the past four years of high school with me—I’m so glad I decided to sit next to you during freshman year English.

There’s no one else I’d rather struggle through comp sci or run across NASA campus in seven minutes with.

Helen, you’re my favorite air conditioner. :) Ashley Ye, senior Oliver, You can’t have a rainbow without little rain. Keep your head up dawg.

Kyle Dexter, junior Carson sweetie....I will always love you.

Alexandra Julka, freshman

A big thank you to all my wonder teachers for being awesome and Mr. Monteleone who’s a great principal!

Aries Wang, junior Happy Valentine’s Day to “Rice Guys!” School’s better with you :) Avery Wang, freshman Much love to Rice Guys and the spam you send.

Anna Lee, freshman To Nate, Nikki & Corinne- I will move down one day I swear.

Love you guys!

Faith Cheung, junior happy valentines day to my friends and family :) Samantha Wu, freshman Ari, tysm for always being here and being my friend! I am so happy i met you and we are able to have our own little inside jokes, I hope that sometime soon you can realize that you are really smart and need a break :D Matilde Aranibar, freshman I love my mom!

Mary Ma, junior

Although we don’t have any classes together, We can still walk to RTC, in any weather.

That is why I’m confident in our friendship, love: O Sweet Angela Mu, her hoodie white as dove.

Kaylen Pak, senior Dearest Kelly: Pls unblock me u are so hott ;) My mom bought us gogurt.

Caia Gelli, junior I love you i hope you have a wonderful valentines day be mine.

Kimberly Perez, freshman I can treat you better than Kyle what a loser x Amy Zhai, junior

I thank all my friends for being amazing forces of chaos, kindness, sweetness, and fun!

Khanh Nguyen, freshman

Nicole, you’re my best friend and someone I inspire to be.

You’re too nice for your own good, funny, and very beautiful.

You have your own flaws, but you embrace it. I hope the best for you!

Sophia Ubiera, freshman

A shoutout to all my bestfriends, I love you all <3.

Snezhana Vorontsov, sophomore

To the person reading this -you are loved. You are beautiful.

You are special.

Samuel Desai, freshman

Christopher Austin is greatest man alive !

Isaiah McGowan, sophomore

Happy Valentine’s Day to my wonderful, loving and super smart Husband, Yemi. We continue to grow together and you have been my fertilizer. I love you SWEETHEART!!!

Ms. Oniya, staff

@RiceGuys-- HAPPY VALENTINESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hrishita Mareddy, freshman

To all the students traveling with me to Peru this summer or to some other amazing destination in the future, love you fo’ life <3 Sr. Colchao, staff Roses are red (sometimes); violets are blue (but, like, actually *violet*), sugar IS sweet, and RM’s English teachers are awesome!

Ms. Wilson, staff To Mr. Albaugh: It’s not about uter-YOU or uter-ME. It’s about uter-US. Love, Wife Ms. Albaugh, staff Shout out to my soulmate Mr. Gandhi, I feel a lot of chemistry between us. <3 Mr. Albaugh, staff Happy Valentine’s Day, RM Cheerleaders! Chidera, Merdi, Eileen, Yitzel, Ivana, Hannah, Noa, Kaia, Vierra, Kelly, & Julia - thank you for being such an awesome group of ladies!!

Coach Lee, staff thanks laura for being cool beans legit dawg ok zoomer. we don’t submit locis on time like the other girls do.

Helena Yang, senior

GRAPHICS BY KISHA YAN

ESOL Teachers & Content Coteachers - For offering your loving hands, empathetic eyes, kind smiles, open ears & minds and warm hearts to all our wonderful ESOL students. Happy Valentine’s Day! <3 Mick - You are my sunshine!

My only sunshine! I love you!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Mrs. Schuck, staff

Thanks Helena for being a great math buddy. Comp team mascot vibes.

To Ashley: we have had so many great moments throughout high school— joint senior quote, sprinting through Goddard, and stressing out over the phone.

You are such a great friend and I’m glad I met you, even if it was through failing in Chinese school.

Laura Yao, senior Happy Valentine’s Day to all the teachers and staff in the ESOL Department. Your love for the school and for our students is appreciated!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all my amazing ESOL students! I love you and I am proud of all your hard work!

Ms. Koroknay, staff She said she wanted time and distance... what is she calculating? velocity???? WE CAME UP WITH THAT JOKE FIRST Tejas Nazare and Linsen Liu, juniors Tide layout or YAFH during lunch?

Kisha Yan, senior

I love you very much :) Elsa Vincent, junior To my two sisters, Megan and Cory, I LOVE YOU GUYS! Brooke Hilliard, senior to Emun, Shushan aka Emnetkinda love you, sorta ish :) happy valentine’s day you bum to Lydia Daniel- i am aware i’m a headache sometimes [insert pouty face gif here] and by sometimes- i mean 98- 99% of the time- but know that it’s because i love you chica, happy love day <3 Rediet Ghebrehiwet, junior Mary— love you as much as you love the cats movie.

Eileen Zhang, junior Dear DANCJB, thank you for giving me the best group of friends my senior year, It made this year so memorable. I hate you all!

Cory Bucy, senior Thanks to Jessica for being an amazing friend the past two years. I’m so glad we got closer and that we’re at RM together.

You’re so easy to talk to and spending time together is always fun. Have fun being stuck with me for the next 3 1/2 years :) Ruth Taddessee, freshman To Ivana Thanks for being such a kind Big Sister! You are so amazing. I will miss you so much when you graduate.

George Sellers, junior Stay short old sport. Love you Em <3 Lydia Levy, senior Dear Syd, Kaya, Kaia, Calie.

Nikki, Gwen, Noah, Vinamr, Dev, Owen, Kyle, Rachel, Thank you for looking out for me when I was, and still am, at my lowest point. It is refreshing to know my friends are there for me.

Jake Singer, junior to all the students at RM from all the staff at RM, we love each and everyone of you, and we would not be here except for you.

Coach Fahrner, staff To Rina, I love you so much and I’m so grateful for all your amazing work and our amazing friendship. I couldn’t ask for a better human. I love you millions.

P.S.... AHHHHH WANNAAA SWEEEEENNG OON THE CHANDALEEHEEER Anand Chitnis, junior Mrs. Goetz, If you were a triangle, you’d be ACUTE one!

Mr. Goetz, staff Sending love to the Rice Guys lunch group, to all those daily laughs and to the crazy energy that you guys channel everyday <3 Rachel Wang, freshman To our wonderful writers, It’s been a pleasure to work with and get to know you all this year. Keep writing!

Christine Zhu and Victoria Tong, features editors

The Tide

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February 2020

15

16

The Tide

February 2020

ARTS

AP/IB art struggles to draw in new students AP/IB Art, cont. page 1 Meanwhile, Sargent said “A lot of IB students have really hard classes that take up a lot of time, so you won’t have as much time to focus on other classes.” Ms. Posey said “I think the IB component is not as popular because it’s a twoyear commitment, that there are other courses they want to take to fill the criteria they need for the diploma.”

Time management does appear to be a critical concern, especially for IB Art students who want to be curators for the end of the year art show. Sargent says, “All the curators that I know are in a double period.” With minimal space in their schedule to meet both MCPS and IB requirements, being a curator may add an extra burden to IB Art students.

Are advanced art students right to be concerned about IB Art being removed from the curriculum? It is hard to say. Other IB classes with minimal interest have been removed, such as IB Music, which only nine students signed up for in 2019. However, other IB classes with less interest have been successfully combined with other non-IB classes, such as IB Philosophy. All higher levels of IB languages, including Spanish, French, and Chinese are also combined with the AP class of the respective year.

That appears to be the current plan to preserve IB Art as a class.

“Current IB students are in a large class of AP students, and the curriculum sort of aligns right now at the present, so it’s easy for me to teach,” said Ms. Posey.

Both AP and IB art students

compiled by Mary Ma ARTS EDITOR

PHOTO BY MARY MA

This year’s IB and AP Art students are currently combined in one class.

are required to do intensive investigations into various mediums throughout the year, and are required to submit a final portfolio at the end of their two years based on a theme of their choosing. “I know I’ll still be able to teach upper level if I need to,” Ms. Posey added.

“The fact that it is so free and you can do whatever you need to, I think that’s a plus.”

-Selin Apaydin Some students are concerned about how well the curriculum truly lines up. Apaydin said, “I think there’s a risk that if there are only a few IB Art students,

there’s a risk of their stuff getting neglected in those combined classes.”

With the added work required of IB Art students, such as the Comparative Study and the Process Portfolio, there may be cause for concern. Ms. Posey said, “For IB students who want to be in here, they know that they need to work a little harder than they might be working if they were in AP.” Ms. Posey believes that there will still be enough interested in taking the course. Additionally, interest in AP Art may be on the rise. “I would say I find that it’s extremely popular for all students to take the AP, including IB students,” Ms. Posey said, As for why current students find the course worthwhile?

Apaydin sums it up. “The fact that it is so free and you can do whatever you need to, I think that’s a plus,” she said. “I think it’s a really good way to express yourself and to relieve stress.”

To all of the interspecies beaus and others, please stop romping around in public.

This is what RM students have to say GRAPHIC BY CAS NGUYEN about you.

Saanika Mahashetty, Junior: Barry B. Benson and the flower shop lady from “The Bee Movie” is a big no. Also, Donkey and the dragon from “Shrek.”

Maylis Quesnel, Senior: In “Twelfth Night,” Maria and Sir Toby Belch.

They are a terrible couple and they have no reason to be together.

A l e j a n d r o Gutierrez, GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG Junior: I don’t like the Joker and Harley Quinn. It’s an abusive relationship, it’s super toxic and violent.

Eliana Mazin, Sophomore: From “The Walking Dead,” I don’t like Andrea and the Governor cause he’s a villain.

Samantha Brown, Senior: I’d say the worst fictional couple is Chaol and Aelin from “Throne of Glass.”

Byte, the ‘new Vine,’ threatens to take a bite out of TikTok

by Janet Choi and Sabrina Mei ARTS WRITERS

Whether you’re still missing the classic Vine memes or hopping on the new trends on TikTok, a new competitor is rising from the depths of the virtual media world: Byte. Created by Dom Hofmann, the co-founder of Vine, this six second video app made its debut in 2019, dubbed as the next Vine

“[TikTok] can never replace Vine because Vine was such a community, it was so impactful, it changed my life, it made me who I am today.”

- Ryan Fernando

or Vine 2.0. But with the fame of TikTok growing, will it be able to survive the competition?

TikTok has gained monumental attention over the past couple of years, garnering rising stars, trends and memes. “I use it because, well at first I wanted to see what the hype was about it, but now I’m kind of addicted to it. But what’s not to love, it has a lot of funny things and dances and cosplays,” junior Kayden Edwards said.

Reasons for TikTok’s popularity varied. “I like that people can put their own spin on a trend, which can be pretty entertaining to watch, if done correctly,” sophomore Gabrielle Hester said.

The virtual community also played a role. “[The] people on there are respectful and relatable,” Edwards said. Junior Ryan Fernando said, “My favorite part is how closely intertwined everyone is, it’s such a large community, but like everyone is so loving.”

Though discontinued, Vine has proven to be a memorable app, partly due to its community. “[TikTok] can never replace Vine because Vine was such a community, it was so impactful, it changed my life, it made me who

GRAPHIC BY SABRINA MEI

I am today,” Fernando said.

Junior Annika Meng said, “[Vine is] long gone, but I feel like its legacy lives on in the endless compilations you can find on Youtube, and the fact that people still regularly quote the popular ones.”

Yet, the question remains: will people actually use Byte, particularly in light of TikTok’s popularity? Byte’s six-second video limit seems to mimic Vine’s abbreviated format, but many question the validity of

nostalgia as a business plan.

Some are firmly against the new app, choosing to remain loyal to TikTok, or asserting its firm inferiority to Vine. Edwards said, “Byte is a sad excuse of Vine, and doesn’t match up with how good Vine was.”

Another factor that may impede Byte’s potential is its timing. Junior Annika Meng said, “Byte was essentially released at TikTok’s peak, and I think it’s gonna be really difficult to convince people to switch to an entirely new app, when it feels like nearly everyone is already using something else.”

Success for Byte is questionable, both in terms of popularity and users, but it may have a chance.

Proponents claim that if Byte’s marketing team plays its cards right, particularly in its critical nascent stage, the app may gain traction with TikTok’s current audience, and ideally also attract new customers. Junior Jonathan Rosemond said, “ You can have a bunch of influencers and famous people use Byte and promote the app.”

Old Vine creators have hopped onto the new app, attracting previous Vine lovers—and even TikTok haters—to Byte.

According to Variety, Byte managed to surpass over 1.3 million downloads within the first week of its launch, with 70% of the downloads coming from the United States.

Originality could be another factor to bring in new viewers.

“Popularity on TikTok is often built on people reusing the same audio clips and sound effects, so it can get pretty repetitive sometimes,” sophomore Joey Lien said. “I think Byte provides some potential in that area, since users would be inclined to be more creative and original.”

Furthermore, the differences in video lengths are also spurring creativity. “The video duration is pretty short-- it’s six seconds, more similar to Vine,” Rosemond said. “This forces people to condense their ideas into a short time span, which involves quick thinking and quick editing.”

There is also a certain level of appeal to a fresh, new app, and Byte’s distinctive algorithm may attract those who are looking for something different from TikTok. Fernando said, “I would definitely take a ‘byte’ out of this new app. Just to test it out, and to see what it’s like other than like Vine. I miss Vine.”

ARTS

February 2020

‘Yummy’ disagrees with our tummies :(

by Lynna Deng ARTS WRITER

After a five-year hiatus, Justin Bieber has announced the release of his fifth album, “Changes,” for Feb. 14. This album is a reflection of how he has matured over the past five years. One of the featured tracks, “Yummy,” was released just a few weeks ago, and it seems that the public response has been difficult for Justin Bieber to digest. His desperate attempts to increase the popularity of the track are almost as ridiculous as the song itself.

The saga all began the day “Yummy” was released, Jan. 3.

That day, Bieber joined TikTok, a social hub he hoped would allow him to connect with teens.

TikTok has been a launchpad for many a viral song, but from videos of Bieber lip-syncing “Yummy” in bed shirtless to those of him prancing around his kitchen with a shirt on, it is painfully clear that TikTok’s eccentric and organic nature and Bieber’s hunger for success do not work well together.

TikTok is not, however, the only social media platform that has been plagued by Bieber’s shameless pursuit of attention.

A few days later, on Jan. 6, Bieber posted 13 photos of babies on his Instagram

with the hashtag “#yummy,” which was deeply concerning to say the least. On Jan. 9, Bieber then tweeted a post from a fan account listing tips for how “Yummy” could get to #1 on Billboard Hot 100, including listening to the song while falling asleep and buying the song multiple times on Bieber’s website.

Yet, despite his efforts, “Yummy” only landed in second on the Billboard Hot 100 the week after its release, behind Roddy Ricch’s “The Box.” In fact, this desperation may have been what prevented him from reaching first.

“I thought [‘Yummy’’s lyrics were] funny, but I didn’t want to listen to it because I didn’t

want to promote Justin Bieber’s trying to get attention,” sophomore Angelina Guhl said.

Many also blame the song’s lack of originality and the vaguely repulsive lyrics for its poor performance. “The beats are really basic and it sounds like every other song ever. It also sounds kind of stupid, with the same lyrics over and over again.

Especially considering that it’s about his wife. Come on, make some nicer lyrics,” junior Saanika Mahashetty said.

In addition, in “Yummy” and, presumably, “Changes” as a whole, Bieber seems to be experimenting with a more typical pop style, a bit of departure from the acoustic one that catapulted Bieber to YouTube fame. “I don’t really have high hopes for [‘Changes’] because he’s trying to do more of a

contemporary rap style that’s not what he’s really good at,” sophomore Eugene Kimelman said.

If “Yummy”’s performance is at all an accurate predictor of the rest of the album, it seems RM students will be disappointed by this Valentine’s Day gift. Is it too late now to say sorry?

GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN

New club Rocket Studios brings students together through film

by Aaron Smith ARTS WRITER

Rocket Studios, RM’s new film club, welcomes film junkies, aspiring filmmakers and casual movie fans alike to come together and take their shot at filmmaking.

Students can also write, create and discuss films on a more professional level.

The club’s goal is to expand the schoolwide appeal of film as an art form. “Everyone knows what movies are and most people

love movies in general, but we want people to take a better look at it because anyone can be a filmmaker if they really try to,” senior Gianluca Umana said.

The founders were inspired by a class outing for IB Film where students screened and discussed Todd Phillip’s “Joker.” The club organizes outings to the nearby Regal movie theatre where they watch recently released films; they plan to tackle Sam Mendes’ “1917” next. After these outings, the club engages in discussion on director’s intent, cinematography,

PHOTO BY CLARE ZHANG

Students in RM’s film club, Rocket Studios, analyze and shoot films.

editing and a film’s overall meaning. “Looking at it from that end is a lot more productive and you get a lot more out of it,” Umana said.

The club is sponsored by the IB Film teacher, Mr. Michael Arenas, and allows students to look at film more personally, outside of the strict IB curriculum. “If we have an idea for a film and we don’t think it will meet the requirements we’ll say ‘Oh, this is for Rocket Studios,’ so it’s like a back pocket where we can have fun on our own terms,” senior Elizabeth Haupt said.

The club has have ambitious plans, including a major film project. “We’re trying to get the best of anyone who’s interested in roles like cinematographers, directors and actors and we’re trying to make one big, long student film that we have this grand vision for,” Umana said.

They also want to arrange a student film festival, with awards in the same categories as the Academy Awards.

At the moment, though, the club is taking steps to enlist younger members who they hope can keep the club going in the coming years. “We are always looking for new members to join us, regardless of what grade level you’re in,” senior Kevin Hrozencik said.

The Tide

17

Critics Corner: ‘Marriage Story’

by Aaron Smith ARTS WRITER

Noah Baumbach, director of such films as “The Squid and the Whale” and “Frances Ha,” is loved by many for his relatable and emotionally complex films. Character traits that may be seen in the real world as a fault of pride or pretension are represented as something beautiful that poses questions on the human condition. His latest film, “Marriage Story,” released on Netflix on Dec. 6, is one of the prettiest portrayals of one of the ugliest things that can happen to two people: divorce.

The film ingeniously opens with two montages where Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) each have their turn reading a letter explaining what they love about each other, which takes a sharp transition into a marriage counseling session where neither of them gets the opportunity to actually read it to one another.

The viewer is constantly reminded of this scene when Nicole and Charlie bring these affections up again but not as something they loved about them, rather something they simply noticed, were annoyed by or even hated. It poses a question of whether or not their love was real in the first place or if they were ever happy, and if what they’re saying represents their true feelings versus what we were shown in the opening sequence.

overlooking Los Angeles, and as the camera focuses on Nicole’s face, her pale complexion appears to match the wallpaper surrounding her.

As the harsh reality comes to light and becomes unavoidable, the settings shift and become substantially more depressing to reflect this change. Driver’s character is subject to constant threats of losing many of the things he loves including his career and his son, Henry.

One pivotal scene matches the rising affliction of Driver’s character during a phone call by transitioning from a bright dance studio into a beige staircase that spirals down into the noisy, crowded streets of New York where he feels silenced and trapped.

Choosing sides is futile when it comes to Charlie and Nicole.

On one end there’s a man who is misguided, irrational and easy to see as selfish, but whose motives relating to his family and career are relatable and noble. On the other, a woman who is indecisive, acts sporadically and who can be blamed for the film’s rippling conflict yet, is easy to support as she does it all in the name of independence and feminism.

Their just motives are then taken advantage of by other characters who claim to know exactly how they feel, then twist them to meet their own ulterior motives and provide them with personal satisfaction. What you end up with is something with no heroes or villains, only a group of misguided but wellintentioned people caught in a situation that spirals out of their control in a movie that reminds the viewer that it’s only going to get worse and that there’s nothing they can do to help.

GRAPHIC BY CHRISTINA TANG

Baumbach uses the washed-out pastels that constantly dress the screen to subtly stretch this question of true love as far as he can. In the beginning, the lives of the main characters are shown in a way that seems perfect, and the sets are always pleasing to the eye. However, the subject matter contrasts with it in a way that adds a fascinating quality to the color palette, because the viewer knows this colorful and sunny world conceals a more depressing facet of life that we often choose to ignore.

One scene depicts Nicole crying as she describes her marriage to a lawyer in a cushy and spacious office

“Marriage Story” feels like an awakening for Baumbach, which can partially be attributed to the creative freedoms that Netflix provides to filmmakers.

Baumbach almost beams the intended emotions into your head, so that even if you’ve never experienced the film’s circumstances, y o u ’l l reminisce about your past in a way that makes Charlie and Nicole’s struggles seem like your own, effectively touching the viewers in a way that’s certain to bring tears to your eyes.

18

ARTS

The Tide

February 2020

Scholastic winners share their stories compiled by Evelyn Shue ARTS WRITER

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is one of the longestrunning and most prestigious competitions for teenagers with an interest in art and literature from grades 7-12 across the nation. It offers opportunities for young artists and writers to gain recognition and scholarships and have their work published. This year, more than 70 different works of art and pieces of literature from Richard Montgomery were selected as winners.

towering over her. The string attached to the monkey’s finger also gives of sense of the girl being caught captive.

What’s your favorite thing about your drawing?

My personal favorite part of the drawing is the little astronaut that the monkey is holding. I just like the desperation you can see in his gestures as he reaches to the moon.

What is the meaning of your piece?

I’d say the drawing depicts the fantastical setting of darkness.

You can see that I drew a little girl at the bottom holding a ball to kind of portray how small she is compared the the dark dangers

What’s your favorite thing about your poem?

My favorite thing about this poem is the structure. I wrote this poem at the end of ninth grade in Ms. Brown’s English class, and we were supposed to choose a specific poem structure/type. I chose a villanelle, which involves repeated words at the ends of each line, and that rigid structure forced me to think about poetry in a way I never had before. I had to follow those rules but still capture a feeling and paint a vivid picture of a scene.

Senior Grace Ahn, Painting, Silver Key What is the meaning of your piece?

Sophomore Daniel Choi, Drawing & Illustration, Gold Key What was the inspiration behind your drawing?

I was looking through an art magazine and found a lot of cool pictures. I collected a number of them and decided to reportray them to create a dark and chaotic setting. I also think the randomness of choosing the pictures as I was flipping through that magazine added to the strangeness of the final product (a good kind of strangeness).

really focused on the senses and the feelings.

It’s supposed to take something that we originally see as delicious and associated positively—an icing bag—to something that is gruesome and disgusting—the animal parts.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF DANIEL CHOI

Choi’s drawing illustrates “the fantastical setting of darkness.”

Sophomore Myka Fromm, Poetry, Gold Key What was the inspiration behind your poem?

I really wanted to describe a scene and capture a feeling with my poetry, and my mind almost immediately went to my grandparents’ house. Rather than tell a story with this poem, I was

Why did you enter the competition?

I have always enjoyed writing and wanted to see how my work would be judged on a national scale by professional writers.

No names, no background—my pieces were judged completely based on quality and not who I am.

What was the inspiration behind your story?

The gun violence prevention movement has been an especially divisive and prominent topic in the news this year, and I wanted to write a story that characterized one person’s experience with the trauma that endures beyond a tragedy. I wanted to humanize and tell the story behind the numbers and statistics rattled off so often in political discourse.

Scholastic is sort of a longstanding tradition for me! I’ve been entering since seventh grade. It’s interesting, I always think back to my old entries and it’s fun to see the way my style has grown or transformed.

What is the meaning of your piece?

Mostly about my reflections on gay love and what your body means when it’s both a house of violence and of desire... the violence surrounding gay love, the way the act of tenderness is deemed violent, an act of aggression—how to escape this body politic in love? And especially in rural regions— finding some way to work this really beautiful natural imagery— to subvert it, see how the natural becomes unnatural and haunting.

What was the inspiration behind it?

What was the inspiration behind it?

For this poem, the images/ ideas floating around in my noggin were: Jeanette Winterson’s short stories; memories of the haunting beauty of the countryside in Yongxin and Boerne, Texas; flower anatomy diagrams from my biology class; Federico García Lorca’s poems; shame/repression/gayness...

I started a series about various aspects of the fashion industry that many people don’t pay much attention to or simply don’t know.

This piece was about the use of tallow, which is fat created from boiling animal carcasses and is commonly used as a binder in foundation products.

Sophomore Hana O’Looney, Short Story, Gold Key

Senior Lydia Wei, Poetry, American Voices Nominee and Gold Key Why did you decide to enter the competition?

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF GRACE AHN

Ahn’s painting was inspired by tallow use in the fashion industry.

Congratulations to all the Scholastic Awards winners at RM!

The Tide Crossword: February Edition ACROSS:

DOWN:

1. Tomato based sauce often eaten with chips 6. They include the Pacific and the Atlantic 7. Japanese raw fish dish with no rice 9. “The Raven” poet 10. Resort that may have hot springs 12. Emancipation Proclamation president 15. Experience a book a second time 16. Onetime largest retailer in the U.S.

1. Possible response to “how are you doing?”

2. Prolonged pain 3. Hawaiian flower garland 4. Mace Windu actor, familiarly 5. Dog, fish, or snake, for example 8. __to__, card game where nouns are matched with adjectives 10. Lion King antagonist 11. Word after tide or air 13. Anger 14. Great Society agency that funds projects such as paintings, abbrev.

Note from the Editor Hey Tide readers, My name is Justin Posner. I’m a junior, and I love crosswords! For that reason, I decided to spread the joy of crosswords by writing one. This crossword is obviously pretty small and there is no theme, but in the future, I hope to write larger crosswords with themes. Anyway, enjoy this one!

-Justin

We’re Recruiting!

Welcome back to another edition of The Tide Crossword!

Does the sight of a blank grid bring you joy? Do you love solving crosswords in your free time, on the road or even during class (shh)?

Are you part of the Crossword Club? Are puzzles just your thing?

Then you should apply for a Crossword Constructor position on The Tide!

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are always welcome.

Just send us an email with the subject line “Crossword Constructor Interest” to thetideeditors@gmail.com.

Interested but no experience? Don’t worry, we will provide training!

Solutions to the crossword puzzle will be posted on thermtide.com!

©JUSTIN POSNER

@RM_Tide

@rm_tide thermtide.com

SPORTS

The Tide

February 2020

19

RM indoor track athletes break multiple records TRACK, cont. from page 1 This same unit also finished first in the 4x200 relay at both the MCPS Championships and the 4A West Regional Championships.

“I knew we had a strong team, going out there and performing well definitely feels good,” Akala said.

Throughout 2020, junior Caia Gelli also had a season to remember, as she ran her way into the record books on multiple occasions. On Dec. 23, Gelli ran the 400 meter race in a time of 57.95 at the PG County Holiday Invitational, breaking a 16-year record of 1:00.55. Just a month later at the VA Showcase on Jan.

19, Gelli broke her own record for the 300 meter race set just a week prior (40.35), running a time of 39.42.

“There’s definitely some pressure for me to just continue breaking these records,” Gelli said. Nationally, Gelli is ranked 19th in the 300 meter run. She finished first in the 300 meter run, third in the 55 meter and second in the 4x400 relay team at the Maryland 4A West Regionals, contributing to a remarkable season. “The team has done amazing this season,” Gelli said. “There are so many people who’ve been killing it, and I know we’re going to be even better in outdoor [track]”.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MILESPLIT

Junior Charlotte Turreson races down the track in the Prince George’s County Sportsplex at the MoCo Championships on Jan. 11, 2020.

Senior Diamond Alexander also finished her indoor track career with a record breaking time of 7.21 in the 55 meter run, set at the Montgomery Invitational on Jan. 11. That time broke a 13 year record (7.296) and helped propel her to 63rd in national rankings for the 55M. “I just want to thank the coaches that helped me and put up with me and my craziness,” she said.

Alexander ended the season taking second at the Maryland 4A West Regionals for the 55M and fourth at the MCPS Championships. She also was a part of the record-breaking Girls 4x200 relay team and a part of the second place Girls 4x400 Relay team at the 4A West Regionals.

“We are always trying to help each other and bring positive vibes,” Alexander said.

Additionally, for the 3200 meter run, junior Charlotte Turesson shattered the school record of 11:48.82 at the MCPS Championships on Jan. 22, finishing with a time of 10:58.42 and securing a second place finish. To finish off the season, Turesson finished first in both the 1600 meter and the 3200 meter runs at the Maryland 4A West Regionals. On a national level, Turesson is ranked 31st overall in the 3200 meter and will look

PHOTO BY SHEVANI TEWARI

The all-time RM indoor track records are on a plaque located near the gym. However, the team has broken several of these in this season. to carry this momentum to the outdoor season.

Finally, at the VA Showcase on Jan. 19, Sall broke his own 2019 school record of 1:04.47 in the 500 meter, by nearly half a second, finishing first with a time of 1:04.01. Sall is ranked fourth in the nation in the 500 meter

and also helped set the school record for the Distance Medley Relay. In the season overall, Sall finished second at both the MCPS Championships and Maryland 4A West Regionals in the 500 meter, all while helping the team to a first place finish in the 4x800 meter relay at Regionals.

RM athletes abide by Hockey team skates into winter sports superstitions

by Chris Meija SPORTS WRITER

The Cambridge dictionary defines a superstition as a belief that is not based on reason or scientific thinking that explains the causes for events in ways that are connected to magic. Often, athletes attribute their success to a wide variety of seemingly unrelated factors, such as songs, clothes, athletic tape, pre-wrap, knee braces and almost everything in between.

Some may view sports superstitions as ineffective and silly ways to cope with stress before a big game, while others swear by their pregame rituals, no matter how odd they seem.

From the biggest and most accomplished athletes, to those who are just beginning their journey, many athletes stand by their superstitions.

Why do athletes come up with these rituals to cope with pregame anxiety? A common thread in athlete responses is due to past performances. Senior lacrosse player Jason Devers never fails to listen to artist A$AP Rocky before a game, largely due to a past experience.

“I listened [to him] and it worked out, so I’ve done it since then,” Devers said. This sentiment is echoed by junior Conor Coil, who wears the same pair of compression shorts before each game. “I just feel lucky with them,” Coil said. “One game I wore them, and the next thing I knew, I played the best game I played all season.”

The belief in a supernatural

power existing within an inanimate object is found even amongst the most famous athletes.

Arguably known to be one of the greatest and accomplished basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan, was no stranger to superstitious beliefs, though less bizarre than many others of his time.

According to Men’s Journal, after helping the University of North Carolina win the NCAA championships in 1982, Jordan felt that his basketball shorts were the key to victory. Ever since that day, Jordan wore those exact pair of UNC shorts under h i s professional N B A

GRAPHIC BY

uniform for ALANA LU every game he had.

Turk Wendell, a former relief pitcher for the New York Mets, is well known for his outlandish acts of superstition.

According to Men’s Journal, during his 11 season career, Wendell demonstrated more intense habits than Jordan’s, including brushing his teeth between innings, chewing black licorice and even asking the Mets to change his contract value to $9,999,999.99, as to reflect his jersey number, 99.

by Matthew Rothman and Kyra Wisneski

SPORTS WRITER AND SPORTS EDITOR

MCPS does not recognize hockey as a school funded sport.

However, students for years have come together to represent their school on the ice in a league outside of MCPS. To join the team, no prior experience is needed. “If you want to play on the team, you can, there are no tryouts,” senior Cory Bucy said, “There is a varsity and JV team, but it’s not as strict as other varsity sports in terms of age requirements, meaning that a senior who wants to give it a try can play on JV.” Although the team is outside of MCPS’s domain, students are still able to represent the RM Rockets and play against other schools in the county. “There are two divisions for MoCo, so we still play teams like Churchill, Whitman, and Rockville,” Bucy said. ‘At the end of the season, there are playoffs and it goes on to states like all other high school sports.”

However, playing hockey outside of school as a club sport adds a layer of responsibility other student athletes may not face.

“Having hockey not related to the [school] presents its challenges,” freshman Arthur Smink said.

One challenge is that, unlike

GRAPHIC BY KAITLYN WANG

other high school sports, student athletes have to pay to join the team. “We have to pay for everything, like uniforms and ice time,” Bucy said. “[Also] the financial costs may

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN CULP-GONZALEZ

Senior Justin Culp-Gonzalez skates as he observes the puck on the ice. steer people away,” Smink added.

Another challenge is players and coaches only are able to have one practice a week. “[It is] out of school [which] makes it harder to play,” sophomore Drew Deemer said. “It requires transportation on our own and [we have] limited ice time.”

“Having one practice a week isn’t as productive as other sports,” Smink added, comparing it to most RM-sponsored sports that practice daily.

Despite the obstacles of playing outside of MCPS, a unique aspect offered by the hockey team is that the team is coed. “[Being coed] isn’t a big deal for our team, especially because this year we had six girls,” Bucy said.

“In the locker room and on the ice, everyone is chatting and it never really feels awkward,” Bucy said. “It isn’t really a factor sharing the locker room with [the girls].

They add to the environment of the team,” Deemer said.

This past winter season, although the hockey team struggled in the beginning of the season, the Rockets rebounded and had a strong second half of the season.

The locker room environment

has been a key part in the Rockets strong success after early struggles as the players were able to bond, come into their own, and ultimately perform better. The Rockets ended the season on a five game win streak to finish 6-71.

Despite the lack of tryouts, the team still maintains a diversity in skill. Junior Trevor Gutmann said, “We have players who are exceptional on defense and others who are at scoring. Players who kill penalties, block shots, and this year everyone has contributed to a role and made us a complete team.”

The Rockets had many key players throughout the year both offensively and defensively in all the games. On offense, Trevor and his brother Luke Gutmann finished first and second with 36 and 20 points, while Dylan Goetz, Connor Pickett and Daniel Martella rounded out the top five with 16, 13, and 11 points respectively for the Rockets offense in 14 games.

Defensively, players Mitchell Bobys, Paulina Utochkin, and Joe Hutchinson, along with goalie Julien Piche have led the Rockets to victory.

20 The Tide

SPORTS

February 2020

Sall dominates the track in his final winter season

by Eileen Zhang SPORTS EDITOR

Unlike most student athletes, who do not show their full potential until they join varsity teams as juniors, senior Seydi Sall has been breaking records since his freshman year.

Sall has been on the track since he was young, only improving as he grew. “I always liked running, ever since I was a kid,” Sall said.

Like most other freshmen, Sall was open to the opportunity of trying sports that he had not played before.

However, at the end of the day, Sall knew where his passions lay.

“Even though I was trying other sports, I knew track was going to be the sport I would stick with,” Sall said.

As a freshman on the winter track team, Sall placed first at the Montgomery County Championships in the 500 meters, dropping three full seconds from his last race and foreshadowing his future prominence in track.

Following a stellar first season, Sall reached new heights in the corresponding spring season, where he placed first in the 400 meter at both counties and regionals and second at states (only behind a seasoned senior).

He then qualified for the New Balance Nationals Outdoor.

In his following seasons, as a sophomore and junior, Sall

continued his dominance in the sprint races, particularly the 400 and 500 meter runs, which became his main events. As a junior, he posted the no. 1 time in the nation in the 500 meter up to that point in the season.

During his junior season, he was injured at Nationals and ultimately could not run his junior year during the spring season.

Despite this slight setback, Sall continued training off-season and returned in the following winter stronger than ever.

In the current winter season, Sall has consistently placed first or second in all his events, and will be racing in the state championships for indoor track.

During the race that put the RM 4x800 meter relay team as the

fastest for the whole nation, Sall set the pace as the leading runner.

And while some athletes are just naturally athletic, Sall takes an extra step to make sure that he is always in the right mindset to race. “He’s always really dedicated to his work and very self motivated,” junior Noah Turner said.

Not only is he a stellar athlete,

Sall also seeks to encourage his fellow racers and teammates.

“He cares for his teammates and always expects the most out of them,” Turner said.

Even in his senior season, Sall is far from being done. With a full spring season still left, he hopes to shatter even more records with an ultimate goal being one of the fastest in his event in the U.S. “He always has his eye on the bigger prize, all the guys on the team look up to him,” senior Dan Tsuma said.

Sall is in the process of looking at colleges with good running programs, hoping to continue his track career after high school.

And despite all the heavy expectations held on Sall, he consistently delivers spectacular finishes. “At the end of the day, he always performs. We can always trust him as a team to hold it down in big races,” Tsuma said.

Check @rm_tide on Instagram to vote for next month’s nomination!

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEYDI SALL

Senior Seydi Sall runs the 500 meter at the 2020 Virginia Showcase, winning the event and setting a U.S. #4 record.

GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

Girls basketball shoots for successful winter season

by Corrigan Peters SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

This winter marked the start of another season for the girls varsity basketball team at Richard Montgomery. The season was filled with both close games and big wins, like their 64-10 win to start the season and their 52-48 win against Einstein five days later. Despite this consistency, the 2019-2020 team has many characteristics that are unique.

“I think the thing with this year’s team is that we have a lot of depth, it’s not just two or three players who are very skilled and then a big drop-off,” coach and English teacher Michael Oakes said. The depth of this team is a huge improvement and a major factor in the success that they have, since the team doesn’t have to rely on a small number of players but can score points with the whole team.

Not only are all the players on this year’s squad skilled, but each player has a specific skill set that

PHOTO COURTESY OF TALIA KOUNCAR

Sophomore Talia Kouncar blocks as a Clarksburg player attempts a shot.

balances the overall talent on the court.

“This year we have a lot of players who have complimentary skills,” Mr. Oakes said. “Some of them are great defenders, some of them are really good shooters, others pass the ball really effectively, so it’s really nice to have that.”

Another special feature of the team this year is the large number of underclassmen who are able to play competitively on the varsity level.

“We have two freshmen and five sophomores on the team, so more than half of our players are freshmen and sophomores which I know is rare for a varsity team,” Mr. Oakes said. “It really speaks to the talent level that we have with the younger players, that they’ve really stepped up and earned their positions on varsity, which is really good and exciting.”

A common struggle for teams that have a lot of seniors is rebuilding their system once much of the team has graduated.

Because of the youth and depth on RM’s team, this will not be a major problem.

“In addition to having a good year this year, we feel like we’ll continue to have a really bright future,” Mr. Oakes said.

With so many contributors to the wins that the girls basketball team has accumulated so far, no single strength is the entire cause for success during any given game.

“I think the most important factor is just teamwork and team bonding. I think that’s the

source where everything else gonna put full effort out on the can branch off from,” sophomore court,” Mr. Oakes said. player Gloria Moudou said. Since “[The players] were all the players on the team spent working hard,” a large amount of time sophomore Nusrat together at games and Meetul said. The practices, chemistry is work ethic and very important. enthusiasm that “Our team bonding the girls show helps us get plays every game was done, win games and just as apparent stuff like that, but it also to spectators as creates a situation where to the coach. players are happy to go “They’re all to practice and happy to positive and supported play the sport,” Moudou each other,” GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN said. sophomore Once players become Cooper Sosin said. comfortable in the system that The usual excitement of Mr. Oakes has created, victories watching a varsity athletic become easier to achieve. In event is only heightened by the basketball and any team sport, two unique aspects of the girls bonding helps players get used basketball playing style. to their teammates and leads to “I think you’re going to see stronger defense, better passing, a team that’s exciting to watch and overall enthusiasm towards because we’re a really great threethe game. point shooting team, so we have a Once the stress of trying out lot of players from Calie Dunn to is gone, the team bonding gives Anujin Dashdorj to many many every player freedom to take players who are really strong risks and improve their skills and three-point shooters. I think knowledge of the sport. we’re one of the better three-point “[Team bonding] creates a nice shooting teams in the county so environment for us to say what it’s always fun to watch,” Mr. we want to say and do what we Oakes said. want to do and it’s just very good The excitement is not only in that way,” Moudou said. present when the team has the With three games left to play in ball, however. Their defense also the season, big plays and exciting makes games more fun to watch. wins are sure to continue through “We also press a lot, and we’re this year and into the 2020-2021 pretty successful with that, and season. so I think it just makes for an The team’s efforts are obvious entertaining style of play that to audience members as well. “I people would prefer to watch think if you come to our game, rather than just walking the ball you’re gonna see a team that is up and down the court,” Mr. gonna work really hard and is Oakes said.