The Tide - May 2019

20

News 2-3

Opinions 4-6

La Marea 9

Center Spread 10-11

Features 12-14

Arts 16-18

Sports 19-20

Sydney Sun Senior Sydney Sun (left), along with peers Rachel Park and KaiSamuels Jackson, is planning to pursue art in college. While Sun hopes to enter the field of architecture, Park and Jackson look towards other art-related fields. While their interests in art careers began at different times in their lives, art has been a core part of each of their high school careers and will continue to carry them forward. Page 17.

PHOTO BY EMILY PAN

Maria Soboleva As a prominent figure of the RM art community, senior Maria Soboleva has captured beauty, inspiration and experience in her paintings. Soboleva has opened many doors with her work, from exhibiting in multiple juried art competitions to curating the AP/ IB Art show. With her meticulous process, Soboleva’s art serves as both a way to connect with her friends and as an important vehicle for deeply personal expression. Page 16.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KADEN HOFFMAN

Kaden Hoffman is a phenomenal athlete who excels in both football and lacrosse. He has been awarded the Scholar-Athlete award for Football, the All-Divisions Honors for lacrosse and the Rockets Award for leadership. After enjoying team sports all his life, Hoffman is not only a reliable and committed player, but he is also as a leader that strives to help others achieve their goals, whether they be athletic or academic. Page 20.

Leaving legacies

PHOTO BY IRENE KIM

Maria Akter

As we walk through RM, we pass a myriad of students, athletes, artists and leaders. In this issue, read about some students who have left their marks.

Assuming that students regularly attend school, each student spends over 950 hours at RM per year. For typical seniors, quadruple that figure to get over 3800 hours—thousands of hours spent learning, forging relationships with staff and peers and growing as students, but

more importantly, people.

Beyond strict school hours, students of all grade levels spend even more time completing homework, participating in one of maany RM’s club activities or participating in RM’s athletic programs.

Their endless dedication to

our school has created a culture within RM that is both uniquely vibrant and diverse. These students’ stories are only a few of those that serve as a testament to our school community—a force to be reckoned with both within and beyond the world of high school.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA AKTER

For sophomore Maria Akter, life at RM has just been one aspect of adapting to life in America while pursuing her passion of dressmaking. Akter immigrated from Bangladesh in 2017, leaving family and old friends behind. However, she has taken the challenges of adapting to a new life in stride, learning English in just a year and a half and continuing her passion of designing and creating dresses from scratch. Page 13.

Get the lead out: Maryland has “C” level drinking water

by Dina Garmroudi In 2017, the Maryland Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG) “Get The Lead Out” study gave Maryland an “F” grade for addressing the contamination of school drinking water. However, this year, the state received a “C” grade, showing some progress in dealing with the issue.

According to Maryland PIRG, the grades were assigned based on a variety of criteria, such as the strictness of lead standards, the frequencing and rigor of testing,

Inside The Tide...

the level of public disclosure and transparency and the range of schools the state law applies to.

One of Maryland’s improvements since the first grade reporting was a state law implemented in 2017, which ensures that more lead testing would be conducted for all taps in both public and private schools across Maryland.

Despite the score improvement, the most recent study revealed that of the 519 Maryland public schools with elevated lead levels, 229 lie in Montgomery County.

The remaining schools with

Opinions, 6

Quality of school lunches

elevated lead levels are almost evenly distributed across St. Mary’s, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, a n d Howard County, which each contain a r o u n d 50 leadcontaminated schools.

GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

Under the current 2017 law, Maryland is only required to take steps to reduce the levels of lead once these l e v e l s reach the threshold of 20 parts per billion.

H o we ve r , according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the

amount of water in lead should be lowered to five or even one billion parts.

Some students, especially at RM, have become concerned with the cleanliness of their drinking water in general. The recently implemented water filters display a green, yellow or red light to indicate the status of the filter, ensuring that students are informed about how clean the water that they are drinking is. The Facility Fund also points funding towards lowering the amount of lead in drinking water.

WATER, cont. page 3

La Marea, 9 Centerspread, 10-11

Features, 12

Seniors leave legacies in wills

Seniors’ post-RM plans

Lo fantástico en RM

2 The Tide

NEWS

College Board changes AP registration dates

by Jupleen Kaur Every year, millions of high school students across the nation sit down to take Advanced Placement course exams in May. However, starting in the 2019-20 school year, College Board will be modifying the AP registration schedule, requiring the deadline for registration to be in November instead of March.

In doing so, College Board hopes to increase scores across different student groups, based on race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and STEM vs non-STEM students. These new rules were tested on 40,000 students during the 2017-18 school year. According to College Board, “Moving the time of registration made a difference across the board, but it had the strongest effect for students who are traditionally underrepresented in AP.” Within the test group, the amount of students who received scores of three or higher increased by 12 percent for underrepresented minorities, 20 percent for low income students and 14 percent for female STEM students, yielding promising results.

Another change introduced by College Board required students who cancel the exam or miss the registration deadline to pay a $40 fee in addition to the $94 exam registration fee. In this way, College Board hopes that students will be more engaged in class throughout the school year as they prepare to both sign up and take these exams.

However, the new addition of the AP late/cancellation fee has stirred much controversy, giving way to an online petition started by Jennifer Wander, a high school counselor from Wisconsin.

“School is just getting started in November and there is no way anybody knows at this time whether or not they will be prepared for this high-stakes test. The College Board will make it even harder for lowincome students to compete in an already stressful college application process,” Wander wrote.

May 2019

According to Wander, the newly implemented increase in fees could also deter some students from registering for AP exams if they are unsure about taking a test at the time of registration. Many opponents of the new policy view it as another tactic for College Board to earn more money from students.

“Let’s face it, the College Board says they’re a nonprofit, but really they are all about money,” said Wander. “Our students deserve better than this, and above all, every student who wants one deserves a fair chance at a college education.”

As of April 23, Wander’s petition has garnered 117,812 signatures.

“It restricts a student’s choice to bail out of an exam they feel unprepared for.”

- Kaylen Pak

However, some RM students believe the new registration schedule poses little impact to their test preparation habits.“The registration process this March was more of an acknowledgement that the test really was real and I would need to do it eventually, but even in March I felt it was too early to start studying. Overall, I don’t think the registration date would change my studiousness very much,” freshman Lulu August said.

Meanwhile, some students still feel ambivalent towards the the controverisal introduction of the late/cancellation fee and the potential consequences that the fee could cause.

“I’m still against the cancellation fee because I feel like it restricts a student’s choice to bail out of an exam they feel unprepared for. They already lose $95 for not taking the exam, so I guess I feel that another $40 added on will just make things worse for them. Or the fear of losing more money could incentivize students to study harder and just take the exam, but College Board shouldn’t be using students’ fear,” junior Kaylen Pak said.

GRAPHIC BY LYDIA WEI

Many of the changes have received criticism, but some changes have not. Some of these less controversial changes include an increased number of resources, such as Unit Guides, Progress Checks, Progress Dashboard, and an AP Question Bank to improve learning, class engagement and test scores.

Although there are many changes to the AP registration process, some things are staying the same. For example, the tests will still be taken during the first two weeks of May and the scores will be reported at the usual dates.

Despite the oppositions to the new changes by College Board, it appears that College Board will continue to forge ahead in implementing the increased fees and earlier registration deadlines in time for the coming 2019-2020 school year.

May

MoCo considers “Pay as You Throw”

by Jerry Shen Montgomery County executives have been looking into implementing the “Pay as you Throw” program, suggested

by Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection Director Adam Ortiz. This new program, would charge homeowners based on the amount of trash they throw out every week and could greatly reduce the amount of trash people throw out everyday.

This concept is not a foreign one. Around the country, these programs have been popping up and have successfully reduced waste according to environmental expert Janice Canterbury.

A report from the Environmental Protectionjkjkjkj Agency has i n d i c a t e d that recycling rates have risen by up to 20 percent in communities which employ Pay as you Throw programs. The same report cites that some cities which have employed this program have saved more than $400,000 every year as a result of decreased waste.

“It would bring light to the importance of recycling.”

- Mrs. Albaugh For Montgomery County, executives are considering this piece of legislation because the county wastes large amounts of money on incinerating recyclable material. According to Ortiz, “The county has a recycling rate of 60 percent, and two-thirds of everything that we’re sending to the incinerator is material of value more about their impact on the environment.”

Many RM students find the program to be promising in

encouraging people to reduce waste. “I really think the Pay as You Throw program would motivate people to think more about what they are throwing away,” sophomore Kevin Huang said. “Nobody really wants to be spending extra money on something they can avoid.”

The impacts of this proposed legislation are not only limited to reducing economic waste. “I really think that this piece of legislation could help reduce the amount of trash in our environment, and it would bring light to the importance of recycling,” biology teacher Bessy Albaugh said.

GRAPHIC BY LYDIA WEI

However, even with its good intentions, many people worry this new “tax” will be burdensome for certain socioeconomic groups. “I am concerned that many people may find it difficult to fulfill this tax and that may be a problem for certain areas,” Mrs. Albaugh said.

As a result, county executives say more research is needed to understand how this program would impact county residents.

Montgomery County officials say they will not roll out the program if it does not make financial sense.

Even if the program gets passed, county officials claim that it may take years for it to go in effect. They hope to implement the policy slowly so residents do not become overwhelmed.

Even though Montgomery County has one of the highest recycling rates on the east coast, executives hope to reach a 90 percent recycling rate by the end of 2021, and they hope that through this program, the county can achieve that goal. “We really need the ideas, we need to up our game, and this year, we’re going to really dig in and figure out how to do it right,” Ortiz said.

CORRECTIONS There are no corrections for Volume 45, Issue 4 (February 2019).

May 6

Beginning of AP Testing Have you bought books yet?

May 12

Mother’s Day What’s the best gift for Mother’s Day? Chrysanthe-mums!

May 24

Last Day For Seniors See(nior) you never!

May 26

Memorial Day Moment of silence.

AWARDS

Hats off to Megan Ying and Adam Winchenbach for having their Letters to the Editor published in the New York Times on April 20, 2019.

Congrats to RM’s Quizbowl A Team for winning first, RM’s Quizbowl B Team for winning third and Daniel Yang, Abhinav Karthikeyan and Kevin Zhang for individual awards at the Johns Hopkins tournament on April 20, 2019.

Kudos to RM’s Quizbowl A team for winning first place at the Georgetown Spring Tournament on April 13, 2019.

Well done to Caia Gelli for making a new school record for the 400m at the Viking Invite on April 13, 2019.

Congratulations to the Health Occupation for Students America club for having 27 students place in the Maryland State Leadership Conference on April 8, 2019.

Props to RM’s Science Olympiad team for winning 3rd place at the state tournament on March 30, 2019.

NEWS

The Tide

May 2019

3

RM implements restorative justice

PHOTO BY ANGELA MU

Restorative justice posters have appeared in RM in the past few months.

by Angela Sun This past school year has seen the implementation of numerous community circles and classroombased discussions; yet while many a student can attest to having participated in at least one such community get-together, few likely actually know of the larger initiative behind their implementation, one that has also manifested itself slowly but surely as colorful posters advertising its existence have popped up on Main Street.

Yet while many a student can attest to having participated in at least one such community gettogether, few likely actually know of the larger initiative behind their implementation, one that has also manifested itself slowly but surely as colorful posters advertising its existence have popped up on Main Street.

It’s called restorative justice.

An educational philosophy that MCPS has pioneered since 2013, restorative justice was implemented for the first time at RM this past school year, pioneered

primarily by administrator Angelica Smith, media specialist Dr. Michelle Alexander and emotional disabilities cluster resource teacher Rachel Maturana.

The tripartite approach outlined by MCPS’ colorful restorative justice infographic on Main Street identifies three main areas the policy aims to target: building community, conflict resolution, and self-care.

With respect to conflict resolution, the MCPS restorative justice team aims to phase out the use of punitive measures such as suspension or expulsion and replace them with aptly-named “restorative” practices which place focus on, as Ruschelle Reuben, the director of MCPS’ restorative justice team, says, the “root” of the disciplinary issue.

“Suspension is a very surfacelevel response. We have students dealing with adult-sized issues— divorce...death of a family or loved one—it’s a lot. We have to figure out how to help students navigate that terrain,” Ms. Reuben said.

The restorative justice team offers a menu of services, which, amongst other things, provides

links to several sample worksheets which may be distributed to students following a disciplinary altercation.

For those that exhibit “challenging behaviors”, the worksheet asks questions such as “Who has been affected by what you have done” and “What do you need to do to make things right?” For victims of bullying or harassment, prompts include, “What do you think needs to happen to make things right?”

Such worksheets are designed to allow students to more deeply reflect on issues involving their own discipline. “Everybody has to be able to recognize their role in the conflict,” said Ms. Smith, a self-proclaimed restorative justice warrior. The term restorative practices also encompasses a large variety of other methods of dealing with student referrals, many of which have been incorporated into RM’s disciplinary system.

“It empowers students to have a way of addressing or resolving issues amongst each other.”

- Dr. Alexander

“In the past, when an administrator would respond to a referral, there were a couple of check boxes of how you could deal with it: call a parent, detention, et cetera.

Now, there’s a whole restorative justice section—options such as writing an apology letter or holding a community circle,” Ms. Smith explained.

Supporters of the program believe these restorative practices ultimately provide a more nuanced view on what is best for the student. Benjamin Mourad, an intern for the MCPS restorative

justice team, said, “It’s about adding more to our disciplinary practices than just fear mongering.”

This closely echoes the philosophy behind modern restorative justice, which, according to the International Institute for Restorative Practices, arose in the 1970s in the field of criminal justice with the goal of reconciliation between victim and offender.

In the educational field, restorative justice has a multifaceted set of goals. It aims to address systemic and racial inequalities in student treatment which have been demonstrated time and time again by federal and independent investigation data.

Restorative justice is a counter to the school-to-prison pipeline, which, is the phenomenon where children, particularly of disadvantaged backgrounds, are funneled from public schools to the criminal justice system. “Restorative justice offers teachers the empathy skills, listening skills and conflict resolution skills that keep kids in the classroom, because when these students are out of the classroom, ” Ms. Smith said.

In short, it’s a policy with a multifaceted set of goals which, accordingly, requires a multifaceted approach to meeting those goals. On the mental health side of it all, the restorative justice team, puts out a monthly self-care calendar, which can be accessed on their Twitter feed @RJMCPS. On what aspects of the restorative justice menu she would like to see at RM in the future, Ms. Smith said, “One thing I’d like to bring in [to RM] is the whole selfcare component. The self-care calendars are awesome and I think if we were to embrace it as a community stress and anxiety would overall decrease.”

Dr. Alexander recalled a conversation she had with a woman who presided over restorative justice training for the Chicago police department and met with an incident where a police officer shot and killed a black child: “She said...the only reason why [that situation] didn’t turn into Ferguson was because she had

been working with those officers, doing circles and building relationships in the community.

The officers didn’t do the thin blue line and defend him; they already had those relationships in the community to say that we feel bad that this happened, and that is not who we are. That kept the community from blowing up, because [Ferguson] is what happens when people’s feelings and emotions and needs are unmet.”

In the setting of a school, Dr. Alexander believes that this sense of community is similarly important. “It empowers students to have a way of addressing or resolving issues amongst each other,” she said. There have, of course, been challenges associated with the implementation of this policy. Ms. Reuben said, “Some believe that as a policy, it seems a little touchy-feely, as if it’s soft on discipline. These are myths we [the restorative justice team] are working to dispel.”

For a policy that aims to be so widespread, restorative justice certainly necessitates a large degree of staff cooperation. House Bill 725, which would for the first time codify restorative practices into Maryland law, may help this process along. Nevertheless, Dr. Alexander said, “Adults have to recognize that it’s not supposed to be a tool to implement somebody’s agenda. I really want it to be organic, and to be genuinely used to build relationships.”

The general outlook for the program at both the county and school-level, however, remains optimistic and ambitious. “We started out with only 15 [restorative justice] schools. We are now at 102,” Mrs. Reuben said.

One of those 102 schools is Julius West Middle School, which implemented their restorative justice program two to three years ago. Community circles happen almost every Wednesday during first period.“When these students come next year, we have to be ready to continue their work. I don’t even think it’s a choice on our part. Because the paradigm shift has already occurred,” Dr. Alexander said.

Schools receive “C” RM hosts annual blood drive grade for lead levels

by Abby Adigun

WATER, cont. from front page The legislation also lowers the amount of acceptable lead in water to no more than five parts per billion. In response to complaints from schools that there would not be enough money for repairs, the bill was amended to no longer require schools to repair lead-contaminated water outlets. Instead, they simply need to be shut off. Water outlets that have been in disuse also do not need to be repaired.

On top of change at the state level, RM students believe that the water contamination issue could benefit from a local push for change. “I think we need more of a priority from our politicians and SMOBs, and we need a commission for new solutions. We really need the right purification process in place in order to maintain MCPS as safe as possible for all students regardless of the socioeconomic cost,” Karthikeyan said.

The conditions of drinking water across the state would affect RM as well, and students in the SMOB Advisory Committee have also brought up the issue regarding the cleanliness of the water MCPS students are drinking. In the coming years, Maryland aims to move toward improving the safety of school drinking water.

PHOTO BY GABRIELLE HALPERN

Student refills water bottle at refillable water fountain station.

RM SGA recently partnered with Inova, a nonprofit healthcare organization, to organize a school blood drive during the week of April 15. Students of at least 16 years of age who weighed at least 120 pounds had the opportunity to donate blood to those in need.

According to Inova, it consistently hosts blood drives all over the nation, free for anyone to partake in. Many high schools frequently partner with Inova to give students an accessible opportunity to donate blood themselves.

From April 8 to April 12, RM students had the chance to sign up for the annual school blood drive. Those who did not meet the physical requirements or lacked sufficient blood iron, however, were asked to return to class.

Many students were excited to donate blood due to the impact their donation would have.

“When I was really little, I learned that there was a national blood

shortage, so I couldn’t wait until I turned 16 so that I could become a blood donor,” senior Daniela Brigatti said.

Others were unsure of what to expect, as it was their first time donating. For junior Elizabeth Mao, however, making blood donations was an easy way to make a difference in the lives of others. “I wanted to donate because I know about the benefits of donating blood and helping other people, and it just sounded interesting,” Mao said.

French teacher Derek Letourneau has experienced firsthand the importance of supporting community blood drives when he donated blood to save the lives of those close to him. “You really never know how necessary it is until you or someone close to you needs it,” he said.

While many students participated in this year’s blood drive, some may be hesitant or afraid to donate blood. “They are scared that it’s bad for them or something will go wrong,” Brigatti said.

“But there’s really no real risk

donating blood. It’s really painless. It’s really cool,” she added.

At the end of the day, the RM Blood Drive had acquired 61 donations of blood, including whole blood donations, plasma, double red cell and platelet donations.

For students who may have missed the deadline to donate in the Inova blood drive, Inova will likely return next year for another blood drive.

“Don’t wait until the last minute and realize you could’ve helped somebody out,” Mr. Letourneau said. “It would be nice to be giving of yourself and to just give it a try.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF RM SGA

Inova sets up equipment for the blood drive in the school gym.

4 The Tide

May 2019

OPINIONS

Pause the video: Read a book instead

by Emily Zhao Although the media center constantly orders new books, it seems like fewer students visit to actually check out books.

Our brightly lit phones and computers now provide too much temptation to drop that school-assigned book and watch another episode or scroll through Instagram once more. While 10-minute Youtube videos provide fast and easy fulfillment, books, on the other hand, require a patience difficult to achieve and a level of willingness to analyze and remain in suspense.

Take The Odyssey, a famous Greek epic

by Homer and a quintessential required reading in high school. The story is dense, infuriatingly symbolic and painstakingly long, though teachers would argue the plot is enlightening if high schoolers would just give Homer the time to enlighten.

Unfortunately, students are often too concerned with writing down quotes or reading summaries online to stay engaged with the plot.

“A lot of students feel overworked, so Sparknotes offers what they think to be an easy way to save time,” English teacher Mrs. Leckie said. The English curriculum demands that students arduously comb

of reading—identifying motifs, characters, plot devices—for a young adult book and therefore become more adept at reading prose in general.

Because reading for leisure is less of a burden and because it’s simply for enjoyment, its nature accommodates a high school student’s busy lifestyle which may only allow for a couple chapters of reading per week. For those who are too busy to visit the library, the public library system provides hundreds of ebooks— from non-fiction historical biographies to YA romance reads—for borrowing.

What to Check Out Next

Warcross (2017) by Marie Lu PHOTO BY LYNNA DENG Students study and read novels at the Rockville Memorial Library after school.

Instead of spending hours on League through convoluted language searching It is almost guaranteed, especially with the of Legends, gaming aficionados can flip for metaphors, symbols and allusion, new push in young adult publishing groups into the world of Warcross, a virtual/ making the experience of reading tedious for more diverse characters and settings, augmented reality game which has the and unpleasant. In addition, the plots that students will find a book suited to their entire world hooked. Then, meet Emika often seem distant as no high school background and preferences.

Chen, a struggling bounty hunter, who student would ever depart on a conquest “It’s extremely important for students to accidentally glitches her avatar into the through the Greek isles or host a lavish have access to books that are both mirrors Warcross International Championships party in 1920s New York. and windows. Firstly, ‘mirrors’ reflect the and uncovers a sinister plot unfolding Instead, it is more important, not only experiences of a student.” Mrs. Leckie said. beneath the flamboyant battles. to students but to any English teacher For example, “The Hate U Give,” a bestseller who wants their students to actually read by Angie Thomas, follows Starr Carter, a Six of Crows (2015) by Leigh Bardugo the required books, to find books which teenager who juggles two sides over her Join a crew of assassins, convicts, connect and actually entertain students. world, the racially black neighborhood sharpshooters, and spies as criminal where she lives and the predominantly prodigy Kaz Brekker takes on the deadliest white school she attends. Her plight and the heist of a lifetime. For fans of Game inciting events are a reflection of our times, of Thrones, Brekker’s wit and ruthless and the book allows a student feel validated intelligence will be sure to captivate. knowing that they are not alone in their struggles.

Scythe (2016) by Neal Shusterman “In addition, the window part refers to “If life is left unchecked, life will cease to when they speak.” reading about someone who’s not like you exist. It needs correcting.” For Marvel fans, These observations are backed by

by Arushi Singh in, maybe, a different part of the world. that quote from Thanos may be familiar, statistics to confirm the urgency of this The book offers a window into what their but the principles which he follows are new course. According to Ethos Statistics, life is like.” Mrs. Leckie said. In just a few omnipotent in Scythe, where death has Public speaking is undoubtedly a life- a fear of public speaking or an inability chapters, a fantasy, sci-fi or historical fiction ceased to exist naturally and a select few are long skill required in a large variety of to do so can cut wages by 10 percent and novel can provide an immersive escape chosen to “glean” without bias or emotion. careers. Though seemingly daunting, can reduce the chances of promotion by for anybody wishing to leave the stress of As main characters Rowan and Citra having classes which mandate public 15 percent. Given that around 10 percent school and the daunting future. Moreover, maneuver through their apprenticeships in speaking will equip students with more of females and 6 percent of males in for either “mirror” or “window” books, world of Scythedom, they find that if they relevant skills than the usual basic the United States have glossophobia, students can practice the same principles fail, they’ll lose much more than just a job. memorization and test-taking skills that a fear of public speaking, the negative repercussions are blatantly evident. schools often teach.

Moving past the monetary effects, With high school acting as public speaking can directly help a preliminary stage before increase one’s confidence and college, or the “real world,” self-esteem. Having the skills to assisting the students to communicate your ideas can make this transition should 250 Richard Montgomery Drive encourage students to speak be a priority. Implementing Rockville, Maryland 20852 out about issues that they are classes that help students learn www.thermtide.com passionate about and help rally basic skills, such as financial 301-610-8000 others to support their cause. literacy, are advocated for, Sophomore Sarah Molot said, and public speaking falls The Tide is the free student newspaper of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, “I’ve always had big ideas, in the same category.

Maryland. The Tide is dedicated to keeping the Richard Montgomery school community but public speaking is what Public speaking is not accurately informed and to providing a forum for student expression. let me communicate them.” just integral to business Richard Montgomery High School is composed of approximately 2450 students and 220 staff Public speaking can truly act marketing or networking. members. as the bridge from turning a This skill can be found in vision or thought into reality. almost every workplace— The opinions presented in The Tide do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff and Some may claim public from presentations to a administration at Richard Montgomery. Opinions are written separately from news articles. speaking is too overwhelming panel to conversations with The Tide is affliated with CSPA. or may be emotionally colleagues. detrimental for some Some students have Questions, corrections, advertisements, and photos can be submitted to thetideeditors@gmail.com. students. While one of the already noticed how current best ways of overcoming presentation assignments Letters to the Editor can be submitted to tide.opinions@gmail.com fears is to face them head-on can help their future path.

Any corrections are printed in the following issue on page 2. in a room of peers in the same Regarding a debate GRAPH IC BY HELENA YANG situation, this is not always being conducted in the case for everyone. Making her history class, Editors-in-Chief......................................................................Emily Chen, Helen Qian, Shevani Tewari sophomore Olivia Shankle said, “Though a course which requires public speaking Business Manager........................................................................................................................Jennifer Li [public speaking] seemed to be stressful adaptable so that presentations can be News...................................................................................................................Faith Cheung, Angela Mu at first, there isn’t any job where you done on a smaller scale for certain students Opinions..................................................................................................................Ashley Ye, Emily Zhao won’t have to do it at some point, so it’s would be beneficial. On the other hand, Center Spread..............................................................................................Daniel Chen, Brooke Hilliard important to practice it so that when the participation of some form is fundamental La Marea.............................................................................Joseph Jasperse, Amanda Rodriguez-Michel time comes you can successfully get your to a foster a more outspoken, collaborative Features.........................................................................................................Victoria Tong, Christine Zhu environment among students. point across”.

Arts..........................................................................................................................Mary Ma, Clare Zhang Podcast....................................................................................................................................Grace Burwell Whether your goal is to change the However, public speaking does not Photo...................................................................................................................Irene Kim, Joyce Milandu only enhance one’s own presentation but course of history or to be at ease during Graphics....................................................................................................................................Valerie Wang also provides for a better understanding social scenes, a mandatory public Sports.............................................................................................................Eileen Zhang, Kyra Wisneski of how others are trying to spread their speaking requirement helps all needs.

Digital Art Specialists...........................................................................................Alana Lu, Valerie Wang message. Sophomore Bridget McKirgan Unlike some courses, having an aspect of Social Media Managers......................................................................................Angela Mu, Katie Zhang said, “It’s a good skill not only for a class focused more on self-improvement Faculty Advisors..........................................Ms. Laurie Brown, Ms. Jennifer Kidd, Mrs. Bonnie Peyer yourself but also to be able to understand and less upon content will allow students Editorial Board...........................................Emily Chen, Crystal Foretia, Rebecca Huang, Angela Sun,. and analyze what other people, like become more balanced individuals with a Shevani Tewari, Kyra Wisneski, Ashley Ye, Emily Zhao politicians, are doing or trying to convey greater sense of respect for everyone.

Public speaking preps students for the future

The Tide

Volume 43, Issue 6

OPINIONS

B

The Tide

Black & Gold k c Bla

G

May 2019

5

Gold

Is preparing for college before high school too early?

YES:

It causes unnecessary stress and competition

by Athira Nair Sighs of relief escape from seniors’ lips who have just received their college acceptance letters. Years of hard work and building a resume have finally paid off, and many sacrifices were made, too many for some students. One of the ultimate goals in the academic world is to be accepted into the most elite universities, but many start preparing much earlier than necessary.

Many parents and students think it is necessary to start preparing as early as middle school. However, that only emphasizes the “Harvard-or-bust” mentality of today’s society.

Preparing for college can be applied to some aspects such as saving up for tuition, knowing what college you want to go to, and doing extracurriculars in middle school, but the more rigorous parts of the process, such as studying for AP or IB exams and the ACT or the SAT should only be reserved for high school.

One of the biggest arguments against starting prep later is that there is less time to study and learn the material.

However, studying for college-admissions tests very early on— long before sophomore or junior year—means having to review material over and over again. There is also a financial loss if parents are putting hundreds of dollars into tutoring for an assessment that could possibly be years away, especially for tests like the ACT and SAT which should really only need about a year at most of preparation. Starting too early is unnecessary and has no benefits because if how easily the material can be forgotten.

There really isn’t much to gain from starting prep in middle school. Colleges and universities don’t look at a student’s achievements during those years unless it is something major. Middle school is supposed to only set a foundation for what students may learn and accomplish.

High school is when they are provided the opportunity to put those skills to use.

Stress is a big problem in today’s youth, which is partially due to the constant worry surrounding college applications, which only amplifies the stress of academics, clubs, and sports. David Schrag, a middle school principal, wrote to The New York Times “I find it disheartening that academic success continuously trumps learning — which is about experience, not perfection.”

We only further emphasize this terrible aspect of our society by pressuring our youth to achieve the best grades for the sake of getting into the best colleges, rather than encouraging a love of learning.

This epidemic is not only limited to academics. After school, students are often forced into attending hours of extracurricular activities, sometimes activities that the student themselves has no interest in but believe will help them get into a better college. Forcing children into sports or clubs they have no passion for in middle school will only waste their time. According to College Board, it is the quality of your experience participating in these activities that matters, not the quantity.

Students should be able enjoy doing what they love. Focusing their energy on activities and sports they have a true interest in is what will help them in the future because that is when they discover what career they may want. Doing extracurriculars for the sake of building a college resume takes away the joy in doing the activity.

The emphasis on college also impacts our social and emotional well-being. If all we do is instill that college is the only thing that truly matters, we are not letting them live their life by hanging out with friends and going out with family because they are utterly obsessed with getting into a prestigious college.

In fact, students may be so focused on this aspect that they have difficulty imagining life after college because their mentality is that college is the final goal.

Competition is another major reason why students are beginning to begin college preparation earlier and earlier.

They think it will give them an edge against others. However, this mentality only pits our youth against each other.

Everyone is trying to find something unique or special to make themselves stand out and refusing to help friends or family who are also looking for that extra edge. We are encouraging viciousness and a cutthroat attitude when we should be teaching collaboration and teamwork.

College is placed way too high on the academic ladder. Where learning is essential we have the perfection of grades.

Where teamwork is a necessary skill in the workforce we force a deep competitive nature. Where passion is required for success we develop a hatred for certain subject or activities because of the constant cramming to fit it into the application. This is not just about when to start preparing for college, it is about how far we should take it.

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Early preparation reduces last-minute procrastination

by Nicole Fang Picture this: it is the beginning of senior year and instead of enjoying the final year of school, students are frantically assembling their college applications. Cramming for a test the night before is no way to ensure a good outcome—and the same goes for college admissions. Applying to college is difficult, even with proper preparation, but the burden of cultivating an impressive application is significantly lighter if students have always been proactive.

Early preparation does not mean drilling students on SAT practice tests or asking them to choose their dream college on the first day of school. However, students should use their time in middle and high school to explore who they are, what different interests they have, and the rigor of balancing coursework and extracurricular activities.

It is not effective enough to have just a successful junior year when applying to competitive colleges. Colleges look at all four years of grades and activities, so easing students into their own appropriate path before high school will avoid unnecessary stress in the future and provide a solid foundation as they continue their college preparation.

Furthermore, colleges evaluate the rigor of the student’s fouryear curriculum, so deciding the layout of your high school courses before starting freshman year is highly beneficial and can prevent regrettable class choices.

Selective colleges look for applicants with a sincere interest in what they do, so a scattered extracurricular list with oneoff activities is not very impressive. To develop a genuine application, students should test different activities at a young age and begin focusing their interests and goals.

Test scores take preparation as well, for it is rare to see a student ace the SAT or ACT on their first try. According to the College Board’s 2018 total group report, the national SAT average scores on the first try was 1068. By practicing standardized tests as early as possible, students will have enough time to retake and improve their scores.

The college admissions process is constantly changing, so both students and parents should stay informed about course requirements, application options, test-optional colleges, and what colleges are looking for in the application. “Even before I became a freshman, my parents and I were alert on all the requirements colleges were setting out, so that when it is my time to apply, I will be beyond prepared,” freshman Monica Escalante said. Naviance and the Career Center are both helpful sources for underclassmen to explore colleges.

During an interview with Help Me Afford College, Greg Rupp, President of

Educational Funding and Financial Aid Services, said, “We encourage families to discuss the importance of college with their children at a very early age.”

Rupp recommends that parents know the importance of grade point average, class rank and standardized test scores in relation to college admission and scholarships, rather than playing catchup during their junior and senior year.

In addition to the balanced lifestyle that comes from knowing all the requirements needed from you, families can have a basic peace of mind from being prepared.

PHOTO BY IRENE KIM

The Career Center has college brochures.

Figuring out what college a student wants to go to is also not something that can be accomplished overnight. According to National Association for College Admission Counseling, the percentage of students applying to seven or more colleges has risen from nine to 22 percent since 1990, with some students applying to as many as 50 colleges. Applying to a lot of colleges is often the result of poor planning and panic towards the end of the admissions process, so students should take as much time as they need to research, build, and refine a college list which actually matches their interests.

Knowing what major to pursue is also important to consider early. A report from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics found that almost a third of first-time college students chose a major that they changed at least once within three years. Picking a major to stick to throughout college is imperative in securing a successful career pathway since switching majors after a certain point in college can often be time-consuming at some universities and near-impossible at others.

By spreading out and starting research, campus visits, extracurriculars, standardized test preparation, and college funds early, students will not feel as distressed when it is time for them to apply for college. “If you have worked hard in all your years leading up to senior year, the only thing left to do at that point is to actually apply,” freshman Angelina Guhl said. Ultimately, students will benefit from preparing early as they will be more focused, have the information they need to succeed, and be confident that they had done everything in their ability to win admission to their dream college.

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The Tide

OPINIONS

Richard Montgomery HS should not be renamed

by Myka Fromm Richard Montgomery: a Revolutionary war hero, military general and Provincial Congress delegate. He is remembered for his nobility, bravery and sacrifice in fighting for the freedom of our country, but what is rarely mentioned about his legacy is that he owned slaves, a practice that we now recognize as absolutely vile and immoral.

Is it justified to commemorate him and celebrate his legacy by naming schools, neighborhoods and counties after him?

Does he deserve to be the name and face of our Richard Montgomery High School?

The answer is yes. He died serving our country and owning slaves does not erase that contribution. Though slavery is an awful practice, he was a product of his time.

As freshman Kara Venditti said, “[Slavery] wasn’t outlawed yet. It really depends on the historical context.”

Richard Montgomery lived during the Revolutionary War, a time when abolishing slavery was considered radical. Not until the following century did the general public really start debating the morality of the practice. Compared to the leaders of the Confederacy, who actively defended slavery after the moral debate was fully launched, people living during the Revolutionary War, like Richard Montgomery, may not have fully understood the immorality of this established societal practice.

But if we deem all people who owned slaves unfit to be honored, we would have to rename cities, counties and even states.

“What about Washington, D.C.? What about Washington state?” freshman Elena Baird said. George Washington was without a doubt an essential leader for our country, but he too owned slaves. If he is still an American hero, then what makes Richard Montgomery any different?

Some may argue that the names of cities and counties, such as Montgomery County, should be subjected to even greater scrutiny than school names because they represent larger populations. Referring to the use of controversial figures’ names, Venditti

added, “I think it’s more controversial for cities and counties because there are more people who could be offended by that.” However, the size of the area has no impact on the ethical question.

In addition, logistical and economic issues must also be considered. “We have to think about the economic costs of switching,” freshman Johnathan Sun said.

GRAPHIC BY LYDIA WEI

Thinking about the consequences of renaming a school, Venditti asked, “But what about all the RM merch we have?”

As you go through your day, you see “Richard Montgomery High School” on murals, signs, t-shirts, bags—all around you. This may not seem like a difficult issue to fix, but replacing all of these school logos costs money, money that could be going instead toward improving the quality of our education.

Finally, possibly the most compelling argument to keep the name is for school pride. We are Richard Montgomery, Home of the Rockets. Taking that name away would diminish the spirit we have created and strengthened over the years.

That pride is centered around the Richard Montgomery name, and taking that away would be detrimental to our student body.

Richard Montgomery owning slaves does not discredit all of the important contributions he made to history. No people are perfect, and historical figures are no exception. We therefore cannot hold Richard Montgomery, nor any other figure in question, to our current moral standards without considering historical context. We should be proud of the school we are and the name that goes with it.

May 2019

School lunches must improve

by Shevani Tewari School lunches are a fundamental aspect of school for thousands of MCPS students, many of whom depend on the cafeteria every day. For many students, school lunches are often their only consistently accessible meal, with approximately 57,000 students in the county utilizing the Free and Reduced Meals program. Given that nutrition and academic performance are closely linked, if MCPS actively fails to provide nutritious lunches, significant numbers of students will be systematically disenfranchised from achieving their true potential in the classroom.

“All of our menus are analyzed to meet the USDA regulations,” Director of Food and Nutrition Services Susan McCarron said. She added that students have a variety of healthy and high quality foods.

Unfortunately, the reality of school lunches, according to students, tends to be more questionable.

“Either the food is overcooked or undercooked. Half the time the food is soggy,” senior George Wang said.

Moreover, while the menus provided on the MCPS website promote glamorous Korean beef bowls and Mediterranean vegan salads, Richard Montgomery’s cafeteria does not serve these, instead traditionally opting to serve various sandwiches, burgers, fries, and pizza.

However, even though almost every MCPS student interviewed raised concerns with the quality of school lunches, MCPS has never violated protocol: inspections are regularly conducted and passed, the food itself passes the nutrition requirements provided by the US Department of Agriculture with flying colors, and the companies that MCPS contracts for food

appear to follow all quality standards prescribed by both the USDA and MCPS. Yet, when concerns over quality arise on a daily basis, the true issue does not lie within MCPS’ ability to adhere to regulations, but instead the lack of effective county-specific regulations that would protect the health of students who depend on this school lunch every day.

For example, much of the food that MCPS contracts, including the common staples of pizza, fried rice, hot dog rolls, and potatoes, are all delivered frozen. Switching to fresher foods whenever possible would improve both the nutritional content and taste of school lunches, fundamentally changing both student attitude and consumption habits for the better. Furthermore, MCPS schools, especially RM, should begin to buy and serve what the MCPS website actually advertises. This would ultimately provide more vegan and vegetarian options, improving the accessibility of school lunches for many students.

Finally, the current quality of school lunches as a whole demand increased oversight by the local government. “We need to examine our contracts with a level of unprecedented scrutiny,” Zoe Tishaev, former SMOB candidate and Clarksburg junior said.

While these solutions will be more expensive to implement, the benefit of improved health and therefore academic performance for the students who depend on school lunches makes this a worthy investment. Additionally, intuitively, by increasing the quality of school lunches, more students will buy them, allowing schools to make more money and potentially even pay back the money spent on the much needed improvement.

Our students undeniably deserve drastically improved school lunch. It is time for MCPS to finally take action for us.

GRAPHICS BY KISHA YAN

The Tide’s View: Drug education is the cure to the nationwide opioid epidemic

by The Tide Editorial Staff

In today’s world, seeking escapism from the pressure of life is typical. Whether it be television, video games or sleeping, everyone has a source of relaxation. It is easy to become addicted to these activities, but sometimes the sources can be dangerous.

That is the case with opioids.

Claiming on average 180 lives per day, opioids have managed to consume people all over the nation for the past two decades.

Opioids are typically prescribed by doctors as painkillers to alleviate post-surgery and injury pain, but the appearance of the drug on illicit markets has become increasingly frequent. The manufacturing of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, only serves to perpetuate the growing addiction to and misuse of opioids.

This begs the question, what is society doing to deter the rising death rates caused by the opioid epidemic? On a national level, President Trump has declared the opioid crisis a national health emergency and reserved 3 billion dollars for opioid treatments. The funding has been in place for a year now, but we haven’t seen any decrease in opioid overdose incidents.

National funding doesn’t seem to be the solution, so what is?

The fight against opioids must digress into state and local levels. Many

rehabilitation and treatment centers fight drug addiction. However, while these centers are critical, they are not enough.

Currently, the best solution lies in education. “At Richard Montgomery, we try to face [opioid addiction] head on,” Health and Physical Education teacher John Fahrner said. “We always say ‘don’t do drugs’ but why? It’s their decision, we simply educate them on abuse.”

In RM’s health classes, it is obvious that opioids are well covered, with an entire week of the semester-long curriculum dedicated towards educating students on the dangerous drug. However, what truly determines the efficacy of health education is not quantity, but quality.

“One of the guest speaker groups we bring in every year comes in specifically to speak about opioids, addiction and recovery. It’s one of the best days we have in health and one of the most informative,” Health and Physical Education teacher Jonathan Freda said. A guest speaker certainly helps to bring learned information to life, but to students, it is another day of repeating the monotonous mantra of “don’t do drugs.”

While health teachers are doing the best they can to educate students, they can only do so much. “I understand that they’re trying to help, but I think almost everyone knows that opioid addiction is bad and people’s susceptibility to it is largely independent of

their knowledge of any specific details,” sophomore Reed Foley said. Health education can certainly fulfill what it is intended to—educate the public on opioids to prevent any future use—but that’s merely half the battle.

The other half is up to the willingness and motivation of the next generation to solve the growing issue at hand. “It’s not rules that will solve the opioid crisis.

Rules don’t work, students can only make right decisions when they learn the reason behind the rules and the rules are implemented for the right reasons,” Fahrner continued. Only if students can understand why behind “don’t do drugs,” there remains a large hope for the future to diminish the magnitude of the ongoing opioid crisis.

Outside of RM school doors, health curriculums are seriously lacking. Students often opt for summer or online health classes that condense the curriculum.

“I don’t really recall reviewing opioids.

At most, we seemed to glaze over it,” junior Holly Lam said. The opioid epidemic’s absence from the curriculum is a disappointment.

Given that opioids’ harmful effects have been very well-known since the late 1990s, the ultimate problem is how to push people towards the right decision.

GRAPHIC BY KISHA YAN

Although absorbing information in health class is certainly necessary, students can ensure the cementation of the antiopioid mindset by adventuring out into the community to speak out against opioids themselves. Whether it be fundraising for research for opioid treatment, spreading awareness of the instant addiction and harms of opioids or even just making the community a brighter place to reside in to deter people f r o m indulging opioids as a source o f

pleasure, b o t h students and adults will benefit alike.

According to the Office of Adolescent Health, 3.6 percent of adolescents have abused opioids in 2016. Student advocacy against opioids will certainly help battle the crisis, by working as a preventative measure or a reminder of the dangers in the perilous drug.

Despite what seems like a neverending climb of opioid overdose deaths and addiction numbers, there is certainly still light at the end of the tunnel if we look hard enough.

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May 2019

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LA MAREA

Mayo 2019

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La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica acepta aplicaciones por Isabelle Bohorquez-Stevenson En Richard Montgomery, el español es una de las lenguas más importantes en la comunidad de la escuela. Pero además de la lengua, existe una atmósfera llena de oportunidades donde alguien puede aprender la belleza del español.

Para mantener su presencia en las vidas de los estudiantes y darles a ellos una oportunidad de estar bien informados de la cultura, los maestros de español y algunos estudiantes apasionados de la lengua han creado una sociedad llamada La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica.

Esta sociedad es una organización nacional que fue organizada por los estudiantes avanzados en el uso de la lengua. La Sociedad tiene dos propósitos.

Maestra de español Sra. Solernou, quien auspicia esta organización, dice que, “Un propósito es que continúen estudiando la lengua y que tengan un lugar donde puedan conversar y usar la lengua. Y dos, que pueden servir la comunidad usando la tutoría como medio de servicio comunitario.”

Con las solicitudes disponibles en la página de Richard Montgomery World Languages, muchos estudiantes comienzan a debatir si la sociedad es una organización a la que quieren pertenecer. El proceso de solicitud es relativamente simple, pero hay requisitos. Los estudiantes necesitan estar en el décimo grado y en el nivel tres o más alto en su clase de español. También necesitan tener un promedio bueno en sus clases por ser es una sociedad honoraria.

Al principio, la sociedad puede parecer intimidante a muchos estudiantes, especialmente si la lengua no es una de sus idiomas principales. Pero entre sus miembros hay muchas personas con intereses comunes y donde les gusta hablar y aprender. Camila Losada, un estudiante en el duodécimo grado explica, “Yo quería aprender más sobre la lengua y cultura.”

Solicitar membresía a la asociación puede parecer si estuvieras caminando hacia un terreno desconocido pero Losada explica que, “vale la pena el tiempo y esfuerzo.” Por lo tanto, ser miembro es una experiencia llena de oportunidades nuevas y experiencias divertidas.

“Pueden servir la comunidad usando la tutoría como medio de servicio comunitario.”

- Sra. Solernou La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica hace muchas cosas para la comunidad entre Richard Montgomery y también para la comunidad en Montgomery County.

Además, hay un alcance de edades que esta organización ayuda. Los estudiantes y maestras organizan viajes a otras escuelas, como Richie Park Elementary School, para enseñar a los niños la lengua que han estudiado. También hay presentaciones que los miembros dan sobre la cultura, libros, películas, viajes que han visitado, visto o que han hecho para que los otros estudiantes puedan escuchar y desarrollar

FOTO POR IRENE KIM

Los estudiantes recogen las aplicaciones para La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. un entendimiento más avanzado sobre la cultura hispana.

Además de estas presentaciones, viajes, y las tutorías que hace el club, hay algunas aspectos que no son muy conocidos. Por ejemplo, según Solernou, el Club “[ha ido] a restaurantes a comer y recaudado dinero para donarlo a niños en el mundo hispanohablante.” Con la ayuda de la Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, estudiantes pueden obtener más información sobre aspectos únicos a la cultura hispanohablante.

Por lo tanto, el Club es uno de los elementos de Richard Montgomery que ayuda a los estudiantes lograr sus deseos para su futuro y tener más experiencias que puedan poner en su applicaciones para la universidad. La Sociedad Honoraria

Explorando lo fantástico en RM por Nestor Fernando Aranibar Campero El fenómeno de lo fantástico en las culturas hispanoamericanas recurre más allá del filo literario y se observa en las experiencia y conciencia hispanohablante.

Al ser este el caso, existe una alternancia, transgresión, o fusión entre la fantasía y la realidad para aquellas personas de este vínculo distinguido. Es decir que, de una u otra manera emerge un elemento sobrenatural en las realidades hispanoamericanas. . Al ser este el caso, es imprescindible cuestionarse en qué sentidos se plasma lo fantástico en la vida de estudiantes en RM. Para la profesora de español Sra. Martin-Antonetti, la presencia de lo fantástico en RM emerge mediante al Realismo Mágico. Martin-Antonetti indica que es más o menos parte de la cultura hispanoamericana. Dice que, “¡Tenemos la tendencia de ver las cosas fantásticas y crear algo mucho mejor! A veces lo usamos para salir de situaciones que no son positivas.”

En si para ella el Realismo Mágico es una herramienta de creación y transmisión, la cual es sumamente importante para los estudiantes, Martin-Antonetti responde

muy claramente. “Lo importante de esta misma, hay aún varias capas de simbolismo edad es poder crear, crear, crear, crear, y y pensamiento dentro del estilo general de que ellos se den cuenta que es importante la pieza.” Con una perspectiva similar a la crear.” De una manera similar, Martin- de Martín-Antonetti, Guevara conlleva el Antonetti explica que lo fantástico mismo proceso de Realismo Mágico. Según colabora “muchísimo” con su profesión. Guevara, “En la raíz de todo esto, lo que me Revela que, “Especialmente para mi parece más interesante, especialmente edad- yo tengo 64 años- porque al crear este tipo de arte, a mí lo fantástico de mis es mezclar lo real con la estudiantes me mantiene fantasía.” joven, me da mucha Otro estudiante de energía y me hace undécimo grado, muy feliz.”

Daniel Espejo, Otros estudiantes revela que para logran interactuar él: “lo fantástico con lo fantástico en es algo para RM mediante a su entretener[se].” producción artística.

Hoy en dia, sin Estudiante de undécimo importancia de credo, lo grado Ashley Guevara fantástico es algo que uno comenta que “En lo personal, y puede disfrutar mediante a la en lo que concierne a mi arte, GRÁFICO POR ALANA LU literatura y el cine. Pero Daniel la parte fantástica yace en no cree en lo fantástico. Afirma mis propias piezas.” De una forma análoga, que “todos los mitos y folklores están lo cultural e individual se entreveran en basados en algo físico.” A pesar de que su fuente de inspiración, y predisposición no lo experimente directamente Daniel a lo quimérico, mezclando varios puede observa lo fantástico mediante las aspectos de relatos folclóricos y cerámicas acciones de sus amigos quienes invocan la salvadoreñas para culminar en un reflejo suerte al tocar madera, con las esperanzas de su imaginación. Agrega que “aunque la de mantener una calificación alta en sus iconografía hispánica revela historias de sí clases y exámenes.

GRÁFICO POR ASHLEY GUEVARA

Hispánica es una para los estudiantes, pero en realidad la sociedad es los estudiantes.

Los estudiantes tienen un interés en la lengua y la cultura hispana y quieren aprender más.

Con las aplicaciones abiertos hasta el fin de abril, los maestros que llevan la sociedad estarán buscando cualidades únicos y apropiados cuando deciden quien será parte del club para el año próximo.

Para los que quieren ser miembros, la cosa más importante es tener una mente abierta. También es importante traer sus propias ideas que podrían impactar los logros de la sociedad, los estudiantes, y la comunidad. Los miembros de La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica ayudarán a mantener la importancia de la lengua español no solo en la escuela, sino también en el mundo.

¿Hispáno? por Hannah Levy Richard Montgomery es una mezcla de muchas diferentes culturas y, por supuesto, hay estudiantes hispanos. ¿Pero qué significa ser hispano es esta escuela?

Algunos estudiantes dicen que no piensan que haya una comunidad hispana en Richard Montgomery donde pueden conocer y hablar con otras personas de sus mismas culturas. Pertenecer a una comunidad es muy importante, no solo para hacer amigos sino también p a r a apreciar y aprender sobre la cultura.

Santi Peralta, estudiante d e l d é c i m o grado, dice que “sería muy chévere si tuviéramos un club para aprender más sobre las culturas latinas porque esas culturas son muy bonitas.”

Quizás hay una GRÁFICO POR ALANA LU

solución para todos estos problemas - el club del certificado bilingüe. Dirigido por Nilma Maria Martin Antonetti, una maestra de español, este club también se llama Hermandad Encuentros Culturales y organiza diferentes actividades de servicio para la comunidad hispana y enseña aspectos de las culturas de países hispanohablantes. Según estudiante del décimo grado Angela Orantes, miembro del club, “ le gusta participar en muchas cosas que despiertan conciencia de las herencias hispanas.” Este club es la oportunidad perfecta para estudiantes que quieran conectar con su cultura o conocer a gente con antecedentes similares. Si quieres aprender de la lengua y cultura, habla con la Sra. Antonetti en el aula 162.

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The Tide

CENTERSPREAD

As a senior all I can say is taking your school work is vital in order to get through senior year. Also, stop being cringey!

Disala Tilakaratne I know it seems like high school will never end, but trust me, it’ll end faster than you think. Enjoy the time you have in RM as much as you can! Go to the dances, the games, watch the plays, do everything high school offers! Make sure to surround yourself with good people, keep up with your grades, join new clubs/organizations and meet new friends. Thank you RM for giving me such a great four years!

Shane Querubin To big bod Chris Ma, I leave you dogs, memes, juggling, and Mr. Goetz’s AP Physics C class as Gauss’s Law creates enough centripetal force to send your grade to the quantum realm. To my cousin Kaia Lee-Espiritu, I leave you free Marvel film tickets and a time machine so your little brothers never grow up. I will to you Mr. Ashmead’s AP Chemistry class as his knowledge of thermochemistry and nuclear will blow up your grade. To Andrew and Grace Eliason, I will to you a change in swim dynasty: from the Din Dynasty to the Eliason Dynasty.

Connor Din

To every person reading this, know that it is just a matter of time until you knock on the doors of reality, so relieve the soul’s anguish and ponder upon your own existence.

Thanks to all teachers and have a blessed time.

Yassin Musa Al-Shafi’i

Mrs. Liles—I love you very much, I hope you’ll let me babysit your kids. Mr. Wright— When I come back we’re trying wigs. Mr. Rodney—Refer to the aforementioned. Mrs. Peyer and Mrs. Vires—Sorry for always getting you confused, it might be because I love you both so much. To any teacher I started an email with, “Sorry this is so late” to, I’m sorry for any grey hairs!! To Mrs. McKelvey—Thanks for everything, words can’t express how much you mean to me. To all of you teachers and the ones I haven’t mentioned, did you think graduating would get rid of me :) To all you freshmen, sophomores, and juniors—My parting ‘wisdom’ is to find a teacher you trust, because they’re like, the best.

I’m gonna miss you guys so much :( Nimah Nayel All underclassmen, please learn from my classes mistakes and do your work on time!

Or at least not quarters after they're due. To my favorite virgo Etay, and my favorite junior Rena, know your shenanigans will be missed. Special thanks to my first period teachers for not marking me tardy everyday because I would've E3'd.

Mikhaila Estwick I Khant (kent) Hein leave the following statement to Ms. Fry history teacher and Mr. Beach. For Ms. Fry I just wanna say be happy and smile at least for once. I wanna say thank you for your patience because I know that I talked a lot in that class, thank you for your time and thank you for being a good teacher in general. Mr. Beach you made history class so much fun and entertaining, I never thought that history class would be that much fun to be in. You made boring subjects into interesting and fun topics. Thank you for explaining things so that the class could understand it much better and thank you for being my teacher.

Khant Hein To my favorite Juniors—the hardest part about senior year is senioritis. Once it hits you, it’s a slap right on the face. Don’t let it slap you. Remember that colleges will see your grades. Also, don’t forget to look for a prom date since the beginning of the school year.

Senior year goes by really fast.

Andres De Leon

I will miss my friends but especially my counselor, because without my counselor I wouldn’t be where I am today. I love her.

Christine Ngandu Do the your work before its toooooooo late.

Simon Abedimungu

May 2019

Thank you to all teachers; they are the only reason I am able to graduate. I have grown to have a great respect for what teachers have to do on a daily basis. To the class of 2020 I wish you the best of luck in your last years; it really is a emotional roller coaster. I have always looked forward to graduating, but now, in this final quarter I am sad and scared for the unexpected future. Stay hopeful.

Leonardo Veras Four years later, I find myself with a whole lot of amazing friends, a community in the drama club that loves me, a 4.0 GPA (now sadly lost to the wind), wonderful teachers, and a boyfriend to match with them all. Yet somehow I still remain a 5ft 2in Asian who is ready to fight anything and everything. Lots of love to the people I’m leaving behind in drama, and to Nick L, Daniela, Camron, Chris, Liz, and Nick V, thanks for everything you’ve done. I’m going to miss you all. See you on the flip side RM C.Lai

To all of the underclassmen, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Daniel Lopez Yo, this is pablo i just wanna say y’all be safe in da future ya heard make them good decsions and do ya work don’t slack.

Pablo Chavez Intelligence will not always cut it, but diligently putting in work accompanied with smarts.

Batool Alansari I want to thank every teacher from when I was in IB and when I was not in IB and to the coaches and administration. You helped us all go through the hardest part in our lives and helped us prepare well enough for what’s next. We gave you heartaches, headaches, and all the in between, but we are so grateful for you never throwing in the towel and giving up on us. Thank you for everything you’ve taught us and done for us to make us the graduating class of 2019.

Joshua Jabbie Ако следващата година няма българскo знаме, поставете моята за международна нощ.

Nicholas Vencill To the juniors I know and others who are becoming seniors next year, know your dates and plan out how you will approach deadlines as early as possible. If you wait until the last second, it will be too late and it can cause colleges to think of you differently as a student; because you were rushed. Hang out with your friends as much as you can this year as you may not see them again in the future. Make sure you check if you have obligations. Enjoy!!

Syed Hussain Chisty To underclassmen- TAKE HL CHEM, IT’S THE BEST CLASS!!!

To the Black Maskers—You guys make me 146-Full all the time. Thank you for an amazing home. I’ve had such an amazing and unforgettable experience here. Lilah and Ciara, I wish you the best (snow day free) One Acts. Rina B Levy I simply adore you!

Shout out to all the seniors that made drama club so worth it.

To Mr. Rodney, Emily Pan, and Alex Holtz—I’ll take it we’ll facetime every morning? ;) Daniela Moreira Just dance!

Noam Dubensky

Let’s get one thing straight: High school is not THAT important. Don’t get me wrong, though; in terms of education it’s really crucial and all of you who slack or ignore the opportunity you have here really should reconsider your priorities. But in terms of the social aspect: chill out, it’s not that important. Make friends. You’ll die if you don’t. (I’m exaggerating but I think you understand what I mean) Be frugal. Money is nothing but paper and flexing it dumb. Being kind and understanding to your friends is more important than anything. If there’s any real lesson I learned in high school it’s that society is war and fitting in isn’t easy. But I’ll remember everything my friends have done to support me and keep me in line throughout it all. Keep being beautiful.

Julian Taylor

Shout out to all the people who got me through this chapter of my life, and who will continue to hold down the fort when I am gone. I am so grateful for everything you’ve done for me. To all my underclassmen friends, good luck. Stay in the fast lane, but enjoy your time at RM. Sovann Fitz Woodin

To all my teachers I have had throughout my 4 years of high school: through all the ups and downs we might have had, you stuck with me through thick and thin and I could not be anymore grateful for all of you. You all deserve the best, thank you!

To my dearest juniors, as you embark on the most daunting journey known as the college admissions process. Heed my words. There's a finish line at the end of this long marathon. Thank all the people who've brought you here and continue to support you (shout out to Ms. Peyer and Ms. Michaels for my recommendations!), and take care of yourself. Finally, start your essays early!

Crystal Foretia

To my favorite underclassmen, I love y'all. Even though RM is a struggle at times, I know things will be alright and that you guys will thrive both now and in the future. I am sure you will change the world in your own ways.

To the new EIC's, thank you for your amazing work as editors. I'm sad to leave a club that I've been such a part of for so long, but I know it's in good hands. Don't forget the dollar bill rule and no oxford commas!

Derek Yao

Andy Garcia

The Tide

CENTERSPREAD

To all the teachers, faculty, and staff here at RM—thank you all for your hard work. To the students—have fun and be great! also stan bts uwu love y’all xoxo Annie Martirossian What I would like to leave behind to my fellow underclassmen is my knowledge of not dealing with drama, being yourself, knowing who your true friends are, not taking crap from no one, and lastly.... senioritis is REAL so good luck with that Christis Johnson Oh boy, I bet my teachers are glad to see me gone. Here is a little bit of advice: go to school, go to class, if you’re waking up to come to school then stay in school. Do your work and try to the best of your ability. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from doing what you have to do to graduate. Remember that this is your year to shine. So shine brighter than the sun and never let your crown tip down.

Amanee Downs To RM_HoopsSquad: thank you guys for the time of my life. To tainted: pho shop coming soon. To the boys: it's been a pleasure. To the underclassmen: it really do be like that sometimes.

Austin Cheung Thank you to Richard Montgomery for giving me the tools and skills to exceed in the real world, and building amazing friendships. I know the intimidating halls I once walked as a freshman will seem a lot smaller compared to the real world, As much as I said I disliked high school, you always miss it in the end, and these were memories I will keep forever.

Valentina Baker Here are the two most important lessons I think everyone should take away from high school: 1) No matter how much work you have, always make sure you dedicate some time to treat yourself and de-stress; you're here for a good time, not a long time. 2) No matter what you are doing, don't stop moving in the middle of the halls, especially at the center stairs; leave the scenes of beltway traffic for *outside* the school, please.

Emmanuel Corporal <3 to Emily for feeding me, my lunch group for shaming me into coming more often, Callie and Liam for being my home carpool buddies, everyone who’s revived me from my meltdowns and Mr. Stillman for randomly calling me out every. single. day Tesia Shi

To all of the students who may be having trouble with their work, their classes, or anything else: You may not feel special, good, or outstanding as you see others manifest ambition and passion. You may struggle to get out of bed everyday. However, challenge is omnipresent through life, and one should take it with stride and a joy to overcome. There is joy to be found in the swaying of a tree, the brazen heat of a summer, the brief nature of life. Just remember this: It’s not as bad as Stalingrad.

Daniel Zhu Richard Montgomery High School is a great school. Here has a lot of interesting classes, projects, and clubs.

Yimeng Yuan Find some friends who’ll wake you up when you’re passed out in the hallway at 7:43 am! Never miss the chance to thank your teachers (and administrative staff @ Jelen and Shay)! Take Enviro! It’s the most important class we have! Join Fine Lines/Marooned!

Huge thanks to Ms. McNestor, the human equivalent of cotton candy without whom I wouldn’t have survived the past two years. Finally, to Rina, Jordyn, Lilah, Kayla, Becca, Etay, Ashley, Lydia and my sadly neglected little sibs—can’t wait to see you guys thrive next year and beyond; y’all are SO capable. Good luck and much love!

Keira DiGaetano I leave behind my instagram @w.vizcarrondo and my snapchat- lprincewilliaml those are lower case L’s William Vizcarrondo To all of the underclassmen: depression could affect anyone, it could come anytime, but remember it also leaves. Never give up. You are strong and the world is waiting for you.

Your life is just beginning, nothing is settled yet, dreams exist for you to follow. I will be waiting for you :) Chengrun Jin

May 2019

Juniors, don’t skip class. It might seem fine to do it , but you lose out on information that can be essential into keeping up with your grades. Sophomores, don’t let peer pressure get to you. In the long run you can develop bad habits that can hinder your success going on through college. Ultimately , your grades are very important to keep up with and as long as you do that you can secure a better future for yourself.

Nicholas Stadler Have fun! School is important, but so are the memories that you make with your friends. In twenty years you won’t look back and say, “wow that practice for the seminar was great,” but look back at all the happy times you spent with your friends rather it be skipping for a brunch or just hanging out together.

Malsha Perera To juniors, good luck and bye bye.

Xinyue Wang

The 4 years that you are going through right now are a small percentage of your life. At the end of the 4 years, I hope you will reflect on the good times and not regret anything.

Abedallah Lahham Many of us are driven to excel in our academics/extracurriculars, but moreover, positively impact our community. Be unafraid to challenge the status quo and be a voice for the voiceless, but remember that you can only do the most for others when you take care of YOUR wellness too. Smell the roses, pursue your passions, and hang out with those you call family. Strive most for genuine happiness.

Embrace the luxury of not needing every step in your life figured out just yet.

Focus on exploring who you are and what you care about. Everything else will fall into place.

Ananya Tadikonda To Everyone: Don't drive as slow as you walk. These years would have gone by so much faster.

Nathaniel Barbry To my fellow seniors, thanks for being amazing friends, and making high school such a fun 4 years. I know y’all are gonna light it up in college and beyond!

To the juniors, make next year amazing. Do everything you can, with friends, and extracurriculars. Enjoy your incoming senior swagger! To the underclassmen, I hardly knew ye, but I’m excited to see where you all go from here. And of course, a massive shoutout to to the teachers who taught and shaped me. I can’t thank you enough for all your efforts over these last four years. It's been… Pun-derful.

Sean Boyce

If I ever gave you side eye I’m sorry.

Alesia Ibrahimi

To the juniors—senior year is the not the easiest year, it’s actually pretty hard.

Just keep your heads up because you’re almost done. To the underclassmen— respect your elders just because you’re in high school now doesn’t mean you’re “the big men on campus” Adelaide Carr Whether you’re an upcoming senior or in that awkward limbo between freshman and sophomore year—just remember that high school is such a tiny segment of our lives and that it’s only the beginning! You might be having the time of your life (hey good for you, can’t relate) or maybe you’re just trying to make it to college, but just keep in mind that there’s so much beyond this and your teenage years do not define you!

Colette Veltri If you have a vision, build on it. Also, love and listen to those who stick around and support you.

Ale Marchand For anybody who needs to hear this, if there is one thing I have learned in high school, it is that even if you try to make yourself the most likeable person in the world, not everyone will like you. Do not waste your time trying to be somebody else; be yourself and find the friends who love you for being that person. I am excited to start college as 1000% myself and skip the phase of trying to be who everyone wants me to be. You will all find your group, your niche, and your place in this world if you just allow it.

Piper Feldman PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. ARENAS

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The Tide

FEATURES

May 2019

Teachers give advice on summer, tests and stress teachers, counselors when you feel yourself getting overwhelmed. Ask for help and take it when it is offered. Don’t lose sight of your physical self. Remember to eat, sleep, exercise and drink plenty of water. Your mental health is directly connected to your physical health.

compiled by Carina Guo The end of the school year tends to be both exciting and stressful, with summer and testing on students’ minds. What advice do teachers give about managing this time of year?

Now that AP exams are coming up, what do you suggest students do the few days before the test? During? After?

Mr. Dumas: It was not too long ago that a young Mr. Dumas was taking his own AP exams. Take practice tests, review what you got wrong, and figure out why you got it wrong. It’s also important to get yourself in a good mental state. Watch a movie that makes you happy, or listen to an album, or chat with a friend. Stop by 246 and say hi to Mr. Dumas. Even if I never taught you, stop by. I will grant you my benison.

Ms. Lovelace: I suggest studying but not to overdo it! Make sure to get a full, good night sleep the night before and eat before so you’re not hungry during the test. After the AP tests, go out and celebrate!

Mr. Turner: Rest and breathe are always the first two things I say to students who are preparing for a big exam such as the AP.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW WONG

Mr. Turner advises students to share study materials with each other.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW WONG

Ms. Lovelace recommends: keep working hard after graduating high school.

Students perform best on any test when they can go into the situation feeling well rested and relaxed. I think that studying a little bit each day for a few weeks before the exam helps students to retain material better than cramming or studying all night for a few nights before. It can also be really helpful to study with other people.

Exchange note cards and share study guides. This can help you to remember and pick up on tidbits that you may miss on your own. It’s valuable to review old AP tests and problems. Being familiar with how the test is formatted and what kinds of questions are asked can go a long way to helping you to be successful.

Now is a very high-stress time for many students. How would you suggest students cope?

Ms. Lovelace: I suggest making sure to set aside a little bit of time each day or week to do something that you enjoy.

Whether it’s ten minutes reading a book or meditating right before bed or an hour on the weekend watching your favorite show on Netflix or going out to lunch with a friend or family member, make sure to schedule in “me time” in between all that studying!

Mr. Turner: Call on friends, family,

What would you suggest graduating seniors do during the rest of the school year/summer?

Ms. Lovelace: Graduating seniors: keep working hard in school—don’t drop the ball even when senioritis kicks in! After you graduate, it is OKAY if you still do not know what you want to major in in college or even if you do not know what you want to do in life other than college!

Mrs. Gould: As you wrap up your high school career, try to truly be present and take it all in. You are headed toward an incredible journey in the form of college or perhaps your first real job. But you are also finishing an important journey, so don’t be in too much of a hurry to shut the door on this chapter of your life. Don’t take this time for granted.

Mr. Dumas: Make the most of summer.

Time is sand slipping through your fingers.

Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, you cannot put it back in. Perhaps one day you will be my age and wishing you could be

PHOTO BY CARINA GUO

Mrs. Gould notes the importance of saving money before heading to college.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW WONG

Mr. Dumas suggests relaxing along with studying during exam season. your age again. But you cannot. You will try to recapture that wisp of smoke but it has already dissipated.

What’s something you recommend students to do during this summer break?

Mrs. Gould: Rest and rejuvenate as much as you can. If you are headed to college in the fall and have a summer job, save as much money as you can. You’ll need it. Spend time with the people who truly matter.

Mr. Turner: I would encourage students to be productive and try to get involved in something they are passionate about. That could be a summer job, an internship, a volunteer opportunity, sports team, or a drama production. What you do matters less than WHY you do it and what you take away from it. Try and learn more about yourself and the world around you, and try to grow a little more mature before returning for the next school year.

Mr. Dumas: Make some creative projects. They may or may not even turn out good, but creating is good for the soul.

You will have something to look back on later that you made, and that nobody else made, unless you plagiarized it, which you should not have.

Mrs. Gould: Don’t procrastinate.

Budget your time wisely. Do your best academically. But also, remember that you are not defined by a test score.

RM debates how to resolve student absenteeism

by Emily Tian Although high-achieving students and a flagship IB program have bolstered RM’s reputation across the state, RM fell short of a five star ranking in a school report card debuted by the Maryland Department of Education last year.

RM’s 29.7 percent chronic student absenteeism rate resulted in five out of 15 points in the category. According to information obtained from MCPS through a public records request, around 86 percent of RM’s 2017-2018 senior class missed ten or more days in at least one class. Of those students, nearly a quarter had more than 10 unexcused absences.

In a February 2019 faculty meeting, RM staff were asked to suggest ways in which the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) could support instruction. Following the meeting, social studies teacher Brian Donlon wrote an open letter to the school staff urging that student attendance be made an agenda priority. He listed four actions staff should consider: a frank dialogue with parents, a similar conversation with students, strong adherence to MCPS Board of Education attendance policy and the placement of phones in all classrooms to streamline communication with parents.

Several students and faculty noted the inconsistency at which MCPS policy has been implemented at RM. Senior Elaine Han had received a pink slip from her counselor after reaching five unexcused absences. Although she expected

to be reprimanded, the reaction from her counselor and teachers was muted. “You go to your teacher and you tell them, ‘You can fail me if you want, but if I start coming to class, is it okay?’ They’re usually okay with it,” Han said.

In Mr. Donlon’s open letter to RM staff, he wrote, “This haphazard smoke and mirrors approach to education may place a bandaid on a growing chronic attendance problem, but authentic learning and true concept attainment are sacrificed.”

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE ZHU

RM Attendance policies can be found on the board outside of the attendance office.

“I think part of the reason we have plenty of students who are chronically absent is because we have inconsistent enforcement of the absence policy across not only MCPS, but especially at RM. Students and their families are not held accountable when they have multiple absences,” math teacher Carrie Gaffney said.

In response, administration has introduced a number of changes, including a more strict and uniform E-3 policy and by

forming a “cross-functional team of teachers, counselors, paraeducators... about how we proactively systemically address a culture of absenteeism at this school,” according to principal Mr. Damon Monteleone.

“All the research out there states clearly: punitive actions to attendance problems don’t work,” Mr. Monteleone said. “Getting kids in trouble for not coming to school doesn’t make them come to school more.

There are other ways you need to approach this.”

The official Board of Education protocol for attendance (JEA-RA) includes the following provision: “Students with three unlawful absences in a class will be warned of the possibility of failure and referred to their school counselor and administrator…

Students with five unlawful absences in a class will automatically be notified to submit an appeal of the recording of their absences if they or their parents/guardians believe any absence was recorded incorrectly, or develop an attendance intervention plan with their school counselors/administrators.” Failure to adhere to the attendance intervention plan may put students at risk of receiving a failing grade.

In the first semester of the 2018-2019 school year, there were over 300 instances of students earning an E-3 in a course and as a result, receiving no course credit.

Other county schools, notably Thomas S. Wootton (16.5 percent), Winston Churchill (19 percent) and Poolesville (19.4 percent) and Walter Johnson (20.5 percent) reported significantly less student chronic absenteeism. Based on the least amount of

unexcused absences for 20 or more class periods, RM ranked eighth among the 25 MCPS high schools.

Walter Johnson principal Ms. Jennifer Baker has introduced “seat time” to discourage students from skipping class. If absences persist after counselors implement an attendance intervention plan, students must physically make up missed classtime by sitting in a classroom before or after school or during lunch. By reinforcing the importance of coming to school, Ms. Baker believes that unexcused student absences have been decreasing.

While county and statewide standards hold schools accountable, Ms. Baker thinks administrators ought to have flexibility.

“School communities know what works for them,” she said.

Although various solutions exist, the causes of chronic absenteeism are still unclear. English teacher Ms. Susan Leckie acknowledged the importance of schoolwide regulations, but said, “I don’t know the extent to which some of the outside factors can be addressed just by the school. I think it’s more of a sociological issue than it is just related to the school itself.”

Ms. Gaffney believes that teachers should not carry the blame. “I think it’s absolutely not on the teachers at all,” Ms. Gaffney said.

“I have literally done all the things they told me I should do, and I still had attendance issues. So what then? It can’t be the teacher.

If students knew they would fail all their classes if they didn’t show up, I suspect we would have a much, much, much better attendance policy.”

The Tide

FEATURES

May 2019

Akter sews and thrives

talent for sewing through an optional project that Akter volunteered to take on.

Ms. Sullivan assigned her ESOL students Trends come and go as each season a how-to slideshow, but due to scheduling ushers in new styles and aesthetics. RM’s conflicts with testing, she shelved the population is extremely fashionable, but assignment. Despite this, Akter still wanted to complete the presentation that had many outfits tend to mimic become optional. She brought in her each other.

True sewing materials and explained individuality is to Ms. Sullivan how she made a hard to find in our dress for the Muslim celebration h a l l wa y s — t h a t Eid. “I was super impressed is, unless you run with her ability, talent, and into the talented perseverance,” Ms. Sullivan said. and ambitious Akter continues to challenge herself sophomore Maria by doing work that is not even Akter, designer and requested, let alone required, creator of her own by her teachers. This year, the couture.

ESOL department established Akter immigrated a department-wide policy to America on to not assign homework Oct. 31, 2017, from to ESOL students, as it is Bangladesh.

Her difficult enough to balance passion for sewing learning a new language clung to her, despite with taking seven classes a day. the unfamiliar However, Ms. Sullivan said, “Maria environment. “When wanted extra work, so I came here, I didn’t GRAPHIC BY ANGELINA I would make extra have a sewing machine.

GUHL AND HELEN QIAN work for her. She I bought my machine one would bring it back, year [after I came],” Akter and it was always really, really good. She’s a said. student who pushes herself all the time and has high expectations for herself.”

When Akter first came to RM, she was “When I first came more reserved. But as the days passed, she gradually gained the confidence to speak up to the United States, during class. After learning English for only I didn’t understand one and a half years, the difference now is practically night and day. “She knows the English at all—it was answer to almost every question I ask” Ms. too hard for me.”

Sullivan said.

Akter’s personal growth has extended beyond the classroom, as she has begun to - Maria Akter explore extracurricular activities such as the American Sign Language club and National Honor Society.

The intricacies of sewing changed for Akter’s ambition fuels her creativity Akter upon her arrival. “My machine here and passion, making her a dressmaking is electric, but my machine in my country powerhouse. Although she doesn’t have was not. I can make designs on the fabric concrete plans for the future of her hobby, with a machine [here], but I [couldn’t] in my she definitely harbors tons of potential. country. But I also can make embroidery Akter is considering turning dressmaking with my hand,” Akter said. into her part time job.

The colossal change in Akter’s lifestyle impacted more than just her dressmaking.

A language barrier and the intimidation of building a social life from scratch stood in Akter’s way. Although her persevering nature pushes her to fight through any obstacle in her path, Akter struggled to get to where she is today.

“When I first came to the United States, I didn’t understand English at all—it was too hard for me,” Akter said. Not only was Akter in a foreign country whose language she did not understand, but she also left behind her support system. “I miss my old friends, my family, and my old teachers.

Sometimes when I’m sitting by myself and doing work, I really miss them.”

Living in the US has definitely been a challenge for Akter, but she has developed techniques for immersing herself into American life. She takes pride in her ability to have learned English in a mere year and a half, striving to speak like a native. She uses books and cartoons as learning tools to help her improve.

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by Laura Chang and Eliana Mazin

“She’s a student who pushes herself all the time and has high expectations for herself.”

Sending off our Editors-in-Chief compiled by Amanda Wu and Rosemary Yang The Tide relies on students and staff, but is led by a group of seniors called the Editorsin-Chief who organize the paper’s many operations and execute their visions. Before handing over the reins, this year’s Editorsin-Chief, seniors Angela Sun, Emily Tian and Derek Yao, described some of their most memorable moments and imparted some final wisdom to Tide staff and students.

Angela Sun When and why did you join the Tide?

It started in middle school—I was kinda bored, and my mom was like, ‘You should join newspaper; you like reading, maybe you’ll like writing too.’ So I joined our middle school’s newspaper; it was kind of nonexistent, so I somehow got picked to be EIC for that paper, and it was pretty fun.

I definitely wanted to do it in high school because when I came to RM, I was like, “Wow, this is so cool, they have their own real print paper.” So I just started writing in freshman year.

What are your interests outside of The Tide?

I hop around a lot of other clubs—I really like chemistry and the freedom we have to do different things in Chemistry Club. We did a squid dissection in Biology Club, and that was fun and my hands smelled like squid for a whole day afterwards. I think everybody needs an extracurricular to take the edge off and just go to and have fun with.

Do you have any advice for writers?

For underclassmen especially, definitely enter a lot of writing contests if you want to write and get better at writing. Even if you think you’re not that great, the more you write, the better you get. It’s a great chance to get recognized and get a better sense of the level that other people are around the country. For me at least, the more you know what the standards of other students are around the nation, the more motivated you are to make your own paper better.

Emily Tian What was it like being an EIC at first?

It was kind of overwhelming, to be honest, and I was very nervous to take on the role, especially on the heels of Isabelle, Alex, Vlady and Rachel—the graduating EICs last year are, and remain, some of my favorite role models. I remember Derek being super enthusiastic about layout the first time we ran it and vlogging it.

- Ms. Sullivan Akter’s passion for sewing and her drive to learn English transfer over to other areas of her life as well. In school, she actively participates in class and goes above and beyond with her assignments. In fact, ESOL teacher Eva Sullivan learned about Akter’s

PHOTO BY BRITNEY ERICKSON

The former Editors-in-Chief of The Tide, (left to right) Emily Tian, Derek Yao and Angela Sun, share insights about their experience leading RM’s award-winning newspaper this year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA AKTER

Sophomore Maria Akter is considering turning her dressmaking hobby into a job.

What are your plans for the future?

At this juncture I have little to no clue what exactly I want to do—in the immediate future, I’ll be traveling over the summer and tentatively studying Philosophy and

English in college.

I don’t know if I want to go into journalism as a profession, but I’ll definitely be joining campus publications next year.

And The Tide has taught me a lot about the diverse range of voices and perspectives at a place like RM. Do you have any advice for writers or students who want to be editors?

An article or paper is so, so much beyond the words on the page. Take the time to do your research, talk to sources, and try to collaborate with photographers and graphic artists whenever possible.

Derek Yao What are some of your favorite memories or interesting stories behind-the -scenes of an article?

When we became EICs, we bought donuts and gave them to everybody. It was just really fun and sweet. One of them was for a Features article called “Prom Gender Switches,” where girls ask guys out. They needed photos, so me and my friend Michelle staged a photo when we were sophomores. It’s super ugly, but I think there’s a continuum because I asked Michelle to Hoco in a Tide meeting this year, so it comes full circle. That’s a fun memory, because we look at the photo and we cringe because it’s so ugly.

“An article or paper is so, so much beyond the words on the page.”

- Emily Tian Describe the other EICs in five words each.

Sun: Derek is an excellent (1) mood (2) maker (3) and when I think of him i think of his bomber (4) jacket (5). Emily: incredibly artistic, kind, and down-to-earth.

Tian: Angela: Actually knows what’s going on. Derek: Uber eats &pizza every layout.

Yao: Angela, probably determined, because she just goes at it. Candid, she’s very honest with her opinions. She’s intelligent, and a little bit snarky, sassy. She’s definitely very exceptional. She’s extremely smart and I know she’s going to do great things. Her work ethic is one of the best that I’ve ever met, she’s definitely unparalleled. Emily is charming, charismatic, and I would say perfect, but I think that undermines her hard work and dedication by calling her perfect. She’s spectacular, she’s funny, and she’s incredibly soft spoken when she needs to be. Her writing, if you read some of her stuff, is amazing. I have no doubt in my mind that she’s going to do great things too.

She’s fantastic.

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The Tide

May 2019

Allegheny College Lincoln Kilo Tanyi

Indiana University Aviva Feldman

American College Cedric Starks David Mamboleo

Johns Hopkins University Yared Kokeb

Auburn University Allison Link Boston College Shane Querubin Brandeis University Adam Schrier Rebecca Lacoretz Brigham Young University Meiling Jiang Alejandra Mamani Brown University Isabella Levine Justin Song Bucknell University Marlee San Sebastian California Polytechnic State University Piper Feldman Carleton College Sean Boyce Carnegie Mellon University Sydney Sun Vivian Yuan Catholic University of America Emily Vasquez Clark University Kenneth Baird Columbia University Reyna Choi Crystal Foretia Connecticut College Rachel Park Cornell University Ally Ratkowski-Howe Davidson College Emily Troutman Denison University Andy Zabinski Duke University Alexis Bamfo Katie Spencer Gap Year Isabel Barrera Amanee Downs Allison Kuentz Claire Marrs Julian Taylor Genevieve Grenier George Mason University Xinyue Wang Sofia Schuchner Jalen Stubbs Georgetown University Ben Solomich Giulia Testa George Washington University Sofia Schuchner Hampton University Kendall Reeves Harvard University Chloe Noh

Taylor Fletcher St. Mary’s College of Maryland Alyssa Afuang Owen Deli

Liberty University Jesaya Mozes

Stanford University Isaac Applebaum Ummara Khan Matthew Kolodner Alan Tong Emily Yuan

Louisiana State University Moira Kaluzienski

Stetson University Kristina Mickens

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Delaney Goetz Alice Zhu

Temple University Simon Abedimungu

Lehigh University Matt Kleiman

McDaniel College Anjali Finn Toni McNair McGill University Genevieve Grenier Montgomery College Batool Alansari Kasandra Bautista Pablo Chavez Syed Hussain Chishty Brianna Loproto Vicente Quispe Javon Robinson Bryan Verdier Nicole Win Yimeng Yuan Kevin Yuson Cuiping Zhu Mount St. Mary’s University Christine Ngandu Mark Emery Unger Muehlenberg College Allison Mintz New York University Teddy Ahrens George Wang Maureen Zeufack North Carolina A&T State University Caleeb Lattie

Towson University Ty Banks Anna Damiani Veronica Engelen Britney Erickson Isiah Frederick Ari Griboff Sophie Karasik David Mamboleo Nicole Quinteros Dante Williams David Zhang

University of Michigan Elizabeth Blake William Fielding

Tufts University Sam McQuaid

University of Mississippi Addie Gagnon

University of Akron Abram Brown IV

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Desireé Lockhart

University of Amsterdam Jianah Belfon-Valentine

University of Pennsylvania Anna Chen Sarah Penuela-Wermers

University of Arizona Maya Rebecca Bernstein University of California, Berkeley Chris Gillaspy Derek Yao Justin Zhang University of California, Davis Clara Paternostro University of California, Los Angeles Franklin Choi Gillian Smith

Northwestern University Layna Lu

University of California, Santa Barbara Maura Peang-Meth

Nova Southeastern University Malsha Perera

University of Chicago Grace Zhou Daniela Brigatti

Ohio State University Chengrun Jin Old Dominion University Brooke Simoneau Oxford Brookes University Christian Steenburgh Parsons School of Design Valentina Baker Pennsylvania State University Ava Murphy Pomona College Russell Corbin Princeton University Addele Hargenrader Tracie Kwon

Haverford College Daniela Moreira

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Julia Blitz Sarah Mirekua

Howard University Ronald Mattox Nimah Nayel

Salisbury University Adelaide F. Carr Mariamawit Yohannes

Hult Business School Alesia Ibrahimi

Spelman College Kai Samuels-Jackson

University of Massachusetts, Amherst Maya Geer

Transylvania University Margaret Spencer

North Carolina State University Mikhaila Estwick

Oberlin College Grace Anderson

Mireia Gonzales-Ysern Ayka Hailemariam Clarissa Halpern Alex Holtz Sophia Kaidi Samantha Kalibala Ve Li Sherry Liang Kevin Liu Yang Lu Imani Mayo Ryan Migler Bilal Mohammed Anthony Naritsin Rithik Patel Bianca Roncoli Natalie Ruano-Velasquez Rishabh Saha Alec Santiago John Santiago Padilla Angela Sun Xiaowen Yan Howard Yang Manasi Yedavalli Patrick Young Daniel Zhu

University of Denver Shannon Walker University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Lily Merritt University of Maryland, Baltimore County Hongfei Cai Christopher Callaghan Sovann Fitz Woodin Rachel Frampton C. Lai Austin Lee Nicholas Leiva Elyssa Lou Nibras Seman Thomas Sanders Nick Vencill Leonardo Veras University of Maryland, College Park Usama Abdelkarim Rajan Agarwal Nathaniel Barbry Maren Berman Angel Chen Ray Chiao Sreelekha Chillanki Evan Deist Andres De Leon Connor Din McKenzie Fei Roberto Funez Canales Andrew Giantelli

University of Pittsburgh Mihraan Ahmad Allison Gabrielli Chloe Weiss University of Rochester Miles Gally University of South Carolina Caroline Cornish Carter Matthews University of Southern California Justin Chow University of Tampa Shane Kullen University of Tennessee, Knoxville Lauren Spiese University of Virginia Alexander Aue Rose Kelly University of Wyoming Jose Centellas Vanderbilt University Ivy Han Vassar College Keira DiGaetano Washington Adventist University Andy Garcia Washington University, St. Louis Eric Kim Wesleyan University Sofia Chartove West Virginia University Khant Hein Abedallah Lahham Yale University Austin Cheung Fatma Elsayed Rebecca Huang Emily Tian United States Navy Joshua Jabbie

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ARTS

May 2019

Maria Soboleva discusses her artistic inspiration

by Janet Choi For senior artist and art curator Maria Soboleva, creating art is less a burst of inspiration and more of a methodical process. “Usually I think of an idea, and I sketch it, you know and if I don’t really like it I’ll redo it and redo it,” Soboleva said.

“I know it’s really different for like lots of different people, like different artists will you know, just create as they go, and I’m much more meticulous. It’s something I kind of want to work on, being better at just making something, without planning it all through.”

“When I sit down and draw something, everything else just kind of goes away.”

- Maria Soboleva But once the process starts, the drawing itself comes naturally, as Soboleva’s artistic skills are honed through years of practice.

“When I sit down and draw something, everything else just kind of goes away and it’s really nice, it’s really relaxing,” she said, “It’s wonderful to see like, oh, I’m able to do something now, like three years ago I tried to draw this same thing and I couldn’t do it and now my work has paid off.”

Each piece has become a capsule of memories for Soboleva, a snapshot of her creative mind in that moment. “I’ll be like,

oh, this was what I was thinking about, this was my mindset,” Soboleva said. “You can tell from the mood of the piece, like, was I happy, was I sad, was I stressed.”

Art has opened up many opportunities for Soboleva, like the acceptance of “Breaching,” her painting of a whale, into the John Hopkins Art Competition.

Soboleva has also been involved in the RM community and was chosen to be an art curator by her fellow classmates for the senior art show “Ever After.” “Working as a curator, I felt really honored to do that because I was chosen by my other classmates,” Soboleva said. “Just doing the whole senior art show was just so much time and so much effort, but on the day of it was just so nice, like, wow, we’re done, we made it.”

Aside from these more formal opportunities, Soboleva’s art also provides a unique pathway to connect with her friends. “I think the nice part is that they like it too, they want to see what I’m making, they want to what I’m interested in, and I get to show that through something really different,” Soboleva said. “Most times you just talk about something or you read about it, but art is more captivating.”

This connection between Soboleva’s art and personal life is also a two-way street, with little things like inside jokes serving as major sources of artistic inspiration.

Oftentimes, this results in unconventional and personally significant work. For instance, Soboleva’s favorite piece is her drawing of a hand coming out of a banana.

“It started as an inside joke with one of my friends but it kind of evolved into this piece where I also made prints of it, and it became so much more,” Soboleva said.

However, every source of inspiration has its limits, and art can often require more thinking and planning into the process

PHOTO BY IRENE KIM

Soboleva likes to experiment with artistic mediums, but her favorite is colored pencil. of creating something. “It’s really hard to consistently make art and be proud of it too,” Soboleva said, “It kind of feels like, at some point, you’re making it just for the sake of it rather than really enjoying it.”

Although planning can be full of challenges, Soboleva uses this time to reflect on her work and find motivation and new ideas from researching other artists, or finding inspiration from her fellow classmates. “Sometimes you’re kind of stuck in a rut because you’ve been doing the same thing over and over again,” Soboleva said. Luckily, the sheer variety of artistic mediums available keeps the creative process interesting. “There’s ceramics, you

can do different kinds of paintings, you can do oils, and acrylics,” Soboleva said.

“There’s so much to explore.”

Art can be time-consuming and draining at times, but at the end of the day, this tedious process brings satisfying results.

“It’s just a really good feeling of fulfillment and that’s kind of what you chase when you do art,” Soboleva said. “You just want to be proud of yourself.”

Next year, Soboleva will be majoring in education at University of Maryland. “I’ve always liked working with kids,” Soboleva said. “I don’t think I would ever pursue just art because I feel like I would rather teach others how to make art.”

VisArts: a space where creative minds can flourish

by Shane Querubin VisArts is a local non-profit arts center in Rockville Town Square working to bring life to the community through art.

This organization was founded in 1987 as a small two-person operation serving local artists in a garage. Thirty years later, they are now welcoming 30,000 visitors annually and inhabit three floors in their Rockville location. The space is split into five departments: art classes, event rentals, art galleries, a children’s camp, and a space for resident artists.

The classes encompass many different mediums: drawing with pencil and charcoal, painting with acrylics and watercolor, wheel-throwing and handbuilding with ceramics, glass, as well as digital photography. Sophomore Helena Aytenfisu, a volunteer and intern, says, “There are one time classes like Try The Wheel and Fluid Painting, [and] series classes like Introduction to Drawing and Painting.” One time classes are perfect for those who are curious about trying art for the first time.

There are also four art galleries at VisArts that exhibit art from a variety of artists. The Gibbs Street Gallery located on the first floor of the building is showcasing “Birth of a Star” by Really Large Numbers (RLN) until May 19. RLN is a collective effort between artists Julia Oldham and Chad Stayrook creating art that, according to the Institute of Contemporary Art, Baltimore website, “combines science, fantasy and dream language to blur the boundaries between the REAL and the unREAL.” The other three galleries: Kaplan, Common Ground and Concourse, are all located on the second floor of the building.

“Here and Where” by Richard L. Dana is an exhibit in the Kaplan Gallery until

PHOTOS BY SHANE QUERUBIN

Really Large Numbers, a traveling group of artists, brings the exhibition “Birth of a Star” to the Gibbs Street Gallery on the first floor of the Rockville VisArts building.

May 26 and is of digital prints and a video projection of abstract art.

The Common Ground Gallery has a siteresponsive installation rooted in the ceiling and walls called “…the player to be named later” by John Schlesinger until May 19.

Lastly, the Concourse Gallery features art by the VisAbility Art Lab, which is an art studio at VisArts for emerging adult artists with autism and other disabilities. Their project, “Out of the Box” is available until April 21.

“An upcoming exhibition is Congressman Jamie Raskin’s 8th District Congressional Art Competition, which is from April 21 to May 12. A little further away is the Rockville Arts Festival which will be on May 4 and 5

[presented by VisArts],” Aytenfisu said.

After this festival, summer will be underway and the children’s art camp becomes main priority. It is mostly in the summer months with sessions also offered throughout the year during spring and winter breaks, as well as any other day Montgomery County does not have school.

Over the summer, kids are able to rotate through the different classes and explore their creative sides.

Seniors Chris Morgan and Alex Holtz both went to VisArts as campers and eventually became members of the staff. “I went to their summer camp and I just loved it so much that I wanted to volunteer,” Morgan said. “You get so many volunteer

hours compared to the Rockville camp so I wanted to do VisArts more.”

“I volunteered for several years and was then a glass and ceramics tech, managing projects, classes, and materials. I liked my job when I worked there, but it was a lot of work and long days. My favorite thing about VisArts [though] is both the art being made, the people I worked with, and the kids [at camp] were fun to be with,” Holtz said.

Clearly VisArts does not only employ local artists, they also employ fellow Richard Montgomery students as volunteers and potential paid office assistants. Senior Xiaowen Yan started as a volunteer in her freshman year, and was eventually hired to a paid position. “I really like my job. The staff are all really creative, funny, and kind people. There are times when ridiculous customers come in, but sometimes it be like that,” Yan said.

The Yan family has had three sisters at VisArts. Sophomore Lynn Yan, the youngest, is currently a volunteer. “I found out about VisArts through my family members. Two of my older sisters volunteered at VisArts over the summer and got a job there,” Yan said.

Junior Naomi Lien, is currently training for a paid position. “I intern for VisArts and enjoy it a lot. I’m training at the front desk, learning to manage phone calls and help customers when needed. I learn a lot about people skills and the background work needed in preparing for art classes.

This is important to me, as I want to do something in the art field in the future—not quite sure what exactly yet, but I’m gaining real world experience here!” Lien said.

VisArts is SSL approved by Montgomery County and does need help during the school year and the summer time. Students interested in visiting or joining VisArts can visit their Rockville location or their website at visartscenter.org.

ARTS

The Tide

May 2019

17

Drama students take their final bows Disney Plus to compete with Netflix

by Grace Comer

To make the magic of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” happen on the stage, a huge team of actors, technical crews, and other student leaders must all work together. However, the effort put into this play was bittersweet for the senior members of drama, as it was the last show that they participated in at Richard Montgomery.

Many of these seniors have been involved in drama since the beginning of high school and have an extensive track record when it comes to number of roles over the years. “Last year for the musical, ‘The Little Mermaid,’ I played quite a few characters,” senior Chloe Weiss, who plays Peaseblossom, said. “In One Acts this year, I played Sarah Wolfstone in ‘Seneca Falls,’ that was one of my favorite roles ever. In my sophomore year One Acts, I played Dr. Johnson in ‘The Extraordinary Lives of Mr. and Mrs. Lee,’ and then, here I am.”

Although they are excited to be moving on to college, the seniors will miss the RM Black Maskers. Senior Teddy Ahrens, who played Oberon, said, “It’s been a great time with great people.”

In fact, they had such a great time that the majority of the seniors are interested in pursuing theater to some extent in college. Senior sound chief Emily Pan said, “I think I’m definitely planning on checking out the technical theater program at UMD.” But before looking to the future, the seniors ensured they would go out with a bang with their last play. The acting choices, costume design, technical features, and more all had to be approved by senior assistant directors Rachel Frampton and Elizabeth Sharp. “It’s a great senior show to end on,” Frampton said. “I help with the casting of the show,

by Andy Zabinski

PHOTO BY JOYCE MILANDU

Seniors Emily Pan, Chloe Weiss, and Rachel Frampton commemorate their last RM play. the rehearsal process, and helping shape the final show that you see onstage.”

The tech crews also put their all into their responsibilities to keep the show running smoothly. “We split up all the tasks among our crew, and during the show, we run sound board,” Pan said.

All of the cast and crew worked from 3 to 10 p.m. every night for the entirety of tech week to prepare the show for the final version the audience sees onstage.

Before they officially parted with RM Black Maskers, the senior members had some advice for the younger people at RM with any interest in drama at all. “I didn’t get involved my freshman year, because I was so afraid,” Weiss said.

“The moment you put yourself out there, you will be so glad that you did, because everyone has a place here in the drama program.”

“Just talking to anyone here is a fantastic idea,” Pan said. “You get to meet people from all over the school that you would have never met from any of your

classes.”

The seniors also have some advice for people already in drama. “If you ever have an opportunity to try out a different crew, or go act, it’s a really welcoming place, and you’ll definitely find some of your friends here,” Phillip said. “Don’t be afraid to step up and take bigger roles in the drama program,” Frampton said.

Overall, the seniors are thrilled to be ending with such a well-known and humorous play. Although a Shakespeare comedy has been a real challenge for all of the actors in many ways, it also provided them with an opportunity to learn new skills and grow as actors. “I adore Shakespeare so much, so I think this is just a great way to close, with such a great show that’s so well known.

Especially with Shakespeare, since I love it so much and I hold it so dear,” Weiss said. “I really like the way that everyone has handled it, especially the seniors, because we’re able to have such a fun spin on it. It’s a really great experience.”

Seniors pursue arts majors in college and be prepared.”

compiled by Helena Yang

What are you looking forward to most in college?

Kai Samuels-Jackson: “Honestly, not being micromanaged. I’m really excited for more freedom. I’m excited to kind of start my life as an adult. I feel like I’ll be able to meet more people who are actively in the field in college, and be able to go to more museums and be a greater part of the art world.”

When did you decide that you wanted to pursue art?

Rachel Park: “I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue art because it helped me communicate my own thoughts in a more organized manner, which is more comfortable than actually talking about it for me. Specifically I wanted to talk about my political thoughts, since that is becoming more prevalent today.”

Did you ever receive any backlash from your family?

Park: “Of course there’s been criticism about like, will an art career really be good in the future? I mean, that’s why I’m kind of hesitant about art as well, because of course I love art, but there’s also other interests that I’m interested in pursuing.”

Is there anything you would have done differently during high school regarding art?

Park: “I would have pushed myself more with the different mediums I was using. I wish I could have done more projects like the silicone mask I made.”

How have teachers are RM helped you grow?

PHOTO BY EMILY PAN

Senior Sydney Sun will be pursuing architecture next year at Carnegie Mellon.

When did you decide you wanted to pursue architecture as a career?

Sydney Sun: ”I think it was around sophomore year, during career day on the fair. There was an architect there, and I was vaguely interested at that point, so I took his card. After that, I contacted him and got to tour his firm a little. The more I looked into it, the more I liked it, and I decided I wanted to pursue this.”

What did you like about it?

Sun: “I really enjoy art, but I think the thing with architecture is that it’s not just art. It’s also combined with science, a lot of other factors that go into it, like psychology and all that stuff. It’s also creating and building things. It’s really rewarding to see something that you made.”

Samuels-Jackson: “I have Ms. Posey, she’s the only art teacher I’ve had. Every time I turned in an assignment, she would never give me a 100. Today she gave me a 99.9. She’s always pushing me to push my art to the next level.”

Any advice for younger students?

Samuels-Jackson: “Try not to take your art too seriously. Not everything needs to have a meaning to it. If you want to make art just because you think it looks cute or nice, make art just because you think it looks cute or nice. Just have fun with it. There’s always someone out there who will support you, you know what I mean?”

Do you have any advice for younger students?

PHOTO BY EMILY PAN

Senior Rachel Park uses art as a medium to communicate her political thoughts.

Sun: “If you really believe that it’s your passion, then you should go for it. But also be aware that it’s not easy.

Obviously I haven’t gone into the field yet, but I’ve heard a lot about how it’s really hard, you have to work for very long hours, and the pay may not be very good at first. Trust yourself, but also know yourself and what the reality is,

PHOTO BY EMILY PAN

Senior Kai Samuels-Jackson’s teachers push her to constantly strive for the best.

On Friday, April 12, Disney unveiled the release date, monthly price, and some of the shows and movies for their upcoming streaming service, “Disney Plus.” Set to be released on Nov. 12, 2019, the service will be Disney’s attempt at offering a platform to host exclusive content.

The streaming service will debut with a starting monthly price of $6.99, and a yearly price of $69.99, which would allow it to compete with established platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, whose monthly prices are $7.99 and $12.99 respectively. “It has to be cheaper than Netflix considering it’s starting up and people have to think it’s a good deal and worth money for a more limited variety of content,” senior Rajan Agarwal said.

GRAPHIC BY JILLIAN WIMBUSH

In addition to the previously mentioned shows, Disney Plus will offer a variety of other live action and animated films and television shows. This will include almost every Disney-owned movie, even those that were previously in the “Disney Vault,” meaning they were made unavailable for purchase after a certain amount of time. “A Disney streaming service can easily compete because of exclusive content that draws people from big fan bases in,” Agarwal said.

The franchises owned by Disney, appear at first glance to be too niche to appeal to a wide range of people.

However, the strong appeal of these superhero films to younger audiences may make up for any loss from older viewers. “Not everyone is interested in the superhero genre,” senior Connor Din said. “These films are appealing to younger audiences who also tend to use Netflix, so the streaming service would still reel in a lot of money.”

In addition, some non-Disney owned content will be available to users, such as every season of “The Simpsons” and National Geographic’s “Amazing Planet.” By bringing in some outside content in addition to content from their own properties they are able to compete with established streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, which hold content from various production companies and their own original content.

Disney Plus also has the opportunity to stream live television, which is something unique for a streaming service. This is because Disney owns a few television channels and could stream shows and live news there. “They also own ESPN and ABC so they would be able to stream live TV, which Netflix has never been able to do,” Din said.

However, the service certainly has its limitations as well. According to a study by research firm Ampere Analysis, Disney Plus’ expected television show material only amounts to 16 percent of what Netflix offers. Netflix’s movie library is also eight times bigger than Disney Plus’ launch lineup. Whether the quality of and demand for Disneyowned content can match up to the sheer numbers of TV shows and films available on other streaming services remains to be seen.

18

ARTS

The Tide

May 2019

Entertainment recommendations: Asian Pacific edition BOOKS

by Clare Zhang

MOVIES “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” dir. Susan Johnson

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again: “To All the Boys” is one of the most lovable teen rom-coms out there, Asian or otherwise.

Hopeless romantic Lara Jean Covey has written and kept letters to every boy she’s had a crush on, including Josh, her sister’s recently-ex-boyfriend. When all of Lara Jean’s letters get mysteriously sent out, she finds herself in a fake relationship with former crush Peter Kavinsky, who’s trying to make his ex-girlfriend jealous (It sounds more convoluted than it is).

The combination of typical teen romcom and more modern elements makes this movie both endearing and refreshing.

Lara Jean is incredibly relatable with her judgmental faces, rolling out of windows to avoid confrontation, absolute incompetence at driving, and general complete awkwardness. Also, the film focuses on not just romance, but also the close bonds Lara Jean shares with her sisters, Margot and Kitty.

On top of that, the diversity is integrated naturally, and the upcoming sequel film, set for release in 2020, will feature even more actors of color, including Jordan Fisher, Ross Butler, and Sarayu Blue. If you want to watch an adorable, feel-good high school film, this is the one for you.

Honorable Mentions:

Animated: “Spirited Away” Drama: “3 Idiots” Superhero: “Aquaman” Thriller: “Train to Busan”

“An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir Well-constructed dystopian society inspired by ancient Rome, fast-paced action sequences, strong and complex characters—An Ember in the Ashes has all the makings of an epic fantasy.

The story follows Laia of Serra, a member of the oppressed class under the Martial Empire. When her grandparents are killed and her brother imprisoned for treason, Laia is forced to flee and seek help from members of the rebellion that her brother was assisting. They ask her to pose as a slave at Blackcliff, the Empire’s greatest military academy. Here she meets the second main character, Elias Veturius, the best soldier at Blackcliff, who finds his plans to escape suddenly interrupted. Both seek freedom from the Empire, but fate has other plans.

According to an interview with the blog Literary Rambles, Tahir drew inspiration from a Washington Post story on Kashmiri men taken by the military and the women they left behind. “I asked myself what I would do if I were one of those women, and that was the springboard,” Tahir said.

The novel greatest asset is the cast of characters, who are not just strong but also unique and complex in their strength; Laia may not be able to fight, but her persuasiveness and conviction make her powerful. Don’t get too attached, though— this book is the first of four in a series, the last of which is expected to be released in April of 2020.

Honorable Mentions:

Contemporary: “The Astonishing Color of After” by Emily X.R. Pan LGBT+: “Girls of Paper and Fire” by Natasha Ngan Upcoming releases: “We Hunt the Flame”

by Hafsah Faizal

TV SHOWS “The Good Place,” created by Michael Schur

Eleanor Shellstrop has just died and has been sent to heaven—the titular “Good Place”—on accident. To avoid being sent away, Eleanor enlists the help of ethics professor Chidi Anagonye to teach her to be good, which proves to be no simple task.

As the show goes on, hidden truths about each character and the community itself are revealed, with far-reaching repercussions.

The main cast includes the PakistaniBritish Jameela Jamil and the Filipino Manny Jacinto, whose characters both subvert Asian stereotypes in their own unique ways.

At first, the show seems cheesy, with exaggerated dialogue, slapstick humor and less-than-impressive CGI. But these seemingly inane storylines set up the big “twists” that are simultaneously surprising and logical and add depth to the story far past my expectations.

“The Good Place” also poses some big questions: Does being good have any purpose? Can a bad person become good? And most importantly, what does it mean to be a good person? The fastpaced action of each episode enhances its almost imperceptible buildup—a secondary storyline here, a throwaway joke there. The show satisfies both those looking for a quick laugh and those with the patience to seek a deeper meaning.

Honorable Mentions: Comedy-drama: Master of None Drama: Killing Eve Sitcom: Fresh Off the Boat Recent releases: Ramy GRAPHIC BY VALERIE WANG

FINAL TIDE CROSSWORD: Get In Your Element Across

1 What coals become 5 Fuji, for one 10 Biblical brother 14 Like a knife in disuse 15 Radiohead’s 1992 debut single 16 Express sorrow 17 Artist’s impressions 19 Err in Battleship 20 Hight ranking suit in bridge 21 ___-Air in L.A. 22 Cockpit fig.

25 Audi rival in Germany 26 In recent times 29 Bangkok bills 31 Fusion, e.g.

33 “You’ll ___ the day!”

34 Soup or salad 36 Places to build castles 38 With 40-Across, group whose six

members are around the grid 40 See 38-Across 41 Bit in a magician’s set 44 Transitions between stories 47 Improve wine 48 Dine on leftovers, say 50 Photoshop maker 51 Hexagonal library creator 53 Neat, as a lawn 55 Disallow, so to speak 56 Input on eBay 57 “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

or “The Taming of the Shrew” 59 Sign of spoiled milk 61 Down-to-earth and matter-of fact 65 Animal with one of the highest

biomasses on Earth 66 Rapier, as an example 67 Bag closers 68 Treats for an echidna 69 Hee-hawers 70 Stable, as are the six members of

the group

Down

1 Recipe instruction word 2 “X” author Grafton 3 Assist 4 Buttonhole, say 5 Throw a hissy fit 6 Prepares for painting 7 ___ Republic of China 8 Part of an eye 9 Mini albums, for short 10 ___ Brickowski, protagonist of

“The Lego Movie” 11 Cause of the Dust Bowl 12 Perth’s land, abbr.

13 Containers to contain 1-Across 18 Produce a tangelo or a limequat 21 Outdoor concert venues 22 “Shark Tank” channel 23 Cambodian neighbor 24 Flashy weapon of the gods 26 Turner and Del Rey 27 Opulent 28 “That’s correct” 30 Mustang’s easy pace 32 UN leader Hammarskjold 35 Sewing machine pioneer Howe 37 Droplet of sweat 39 Shocking treatment,

briefly 41 Uber alternative 42 Mythological vessel 43 Tea ceremony garbs 45 Homer hitter’s stat.

46 On the Basis of ___ (2018

biopic about Ruth Bader Ginsburg) 49 “Enough!”

52 Women of the future?

54 Proceeds along 57 Cud-chewing animals 58 Beast of the Himalayas 59 Southern stew ingredient 60 Jackhammer product 61 Dept. of Defense arm 62 Time to work, maybe 63 “Game of Throners”

knight 64 Imprecise no.

Note from the Editor: Hey guys, welcome to the last issue of your favorite crossword. Congratulations to Gillian Smith for solving last issue’s crossword and emailing the solution. It’s been a wild ride this year, and I am proud of the development of the crossword. It’s gone from relative obscurity to a popular pastime in many classes (whether or not you should be doing this in class is another matter). Regardless of if you’re experienced in crosswords or a newbie, I hope that you’ve gained something from this hobby that I’ve poured so many hours into. For the last time, happy solving! ~ Grant Yang

The Tide

SPORTS

May 2019

19

The difficult choice: boys or co-ed volleyball?

by Eli Protas For RM’s spring volleyball season, male players are faced with the decision to play for the boys team or the co-ed team, each appealing to a different group of players. The two teams have different coaches, rules and playing styles, and build upon the basics of volleyball in unique ways.

In general, there are many similarities between the co-ed and boys teams except for two

differences: rules and team dyamics.

In a co-ed game, each team must have three boys and three girls on the court at all times, and no two boys can hit the ball one after the other without it going over the net or being hit by a female player. The boys team has fewer restrictions, as just one person cannot touch the ball twice in one set.

These added restrictions, especially the latter, create a slightly different style of play between the two teams. Senior

PHOTO BY LUCAS SUZUKI

Boys volleyball player, Tony Wu (center), readies a strong spike over net.

boys volleyball captain Josh Yu said, “I think the boys’ team is a bit more aggressive in emotions and play style.”

In addition to the rules, different types of players with different personal goals are drawn to the structure of each respective team.

While the boys team is usually made up of competitive experienced players, the coed team is a mix of girls who played in the fall season and boys ranging in skill level, all wanting to gain experience with the sport.

Coach Barber-Strunk of the boys team said, “It is assumed that the more aggressive boys will play for the boys teams because the girls already had their season earlier in the year.”

The boy’s team is all about having a winning season and has a smaller roster with selective final cuts.

Yu said, “The boys are generally more competitive due to a higher overall skill level and more experience.”

However, the co-ed team still takes volleyball seriously with a focus on winning despite the discrepancies in skill level and experience between the two teams. Senior co-ed player Kidus Yared said, “I think both team are fairly competitive. We all want to win.”

Another major difference between the two teams is the team

Ultimate frisbee flies high

get the disc.”

Like other sports teams, the Ultimate Frisbee Club competes With over 100 clubs at RM, against other teams in the county. it seems as if there is a club for “We play games in a league run everything—students can find by Montgomery County. It’s a places to volunteer, discuss club sport, so we are competing politics and even play in the new against other schools,” Protas Ultimate Frisbee Club. Although said.

A unique advantage of the club it is not an official sports team, the club still hold practices and is that students have the ability to competes with other schools from experience team camaraderie and the thrill of competition without around the county.

The Ultimate Frisbee Club the time commitments of school at RM is led by junior Eli Protas, -sponsored athletic teams. “There who founded the club with is competition, but without the sophomore Caleb Hart. “I’ve everyday practicing and huge personally played ultimate for time commitment of a school a really long time, starting in sport,” Protas said.

Leading and organizing a elementary school, so I’m familiar with the sport,” Protas said. sports club is no small feat. With “Many of my friends expressed student leaders, responsibility interest in playing, and I wanted to keep the sport alive can to spread the sport to a new weigh heavier than originally anticipated. “I find myself directly place,” he added.

Ultimate Frisbee (colloquially responsible for the success of the known as “Ultimate”) is a sport club,” Protas said. “I’ve taken on with a frisbee and teams of a lot of responsibility...such as seven on a field. The frisbee is recruiting most of the players, running ads on RMBC, holding passed around within an interest meeting, running a team to reach the my own practices and opposing end getting to know other zone. However, teams.”

Ultimate is not a Other challenges contact sport, and include logistics, is almost entirely such as when and self-officiated. where to hold “When you practices. “One of catch the disc, you our big problems can’t move with it, is field space, and if the disc touches which would the ground it turns over to the be helped a lot other team,” Hart said. “There are by becoming typically two to three handlers— schoolwho are the ones GRAPHIC sponsored,” usually throwing the

BY KATIE ZHANG Hart said. disc—and then about Despite four cutters who cut to

by Sophia Taur

some of the hardships of running the club, there are many benefits, such as the memories made and the skills learned. “My favorite memory is the night game in the fall between Wootton and RM,” Protas said.

“The Ultimate Frisbee community is a very welcoming and friendly group of people.”

- Eli Protas Last year, Thomas Wootton High School’s Ultimate team won the Maryland state championship.

Following their win, this past fall, RM faced Wootton in very unfavorable conditions: 6 p.m. in rainy 30 -degree weather.

Due to the conditions, RM only had six players ready to withstand the weather , which means that they would have been forced to concede the game if Montgomery Blair’s Ultimate players did not stick around to help.

“The Ultimate Frisbee community is a very welcoming and friendly group of people, and I can think of no better example than that,” Protas said.

Protas and Hart hope to expand their club. “As ultimate becomes a more popular sport and more schools are getting teams, I hope that it will become a school sponsored sport in the future,” Hart said.

PHOTO BY LUCAS SUZUKI

A co-ed player receives the ball during a game against Rockville High.

dynamics, specifically in terms of “hype” and pregame rituals. “A lot of our conduct ends up falling into more masculine norms, and our pregame ‘hype-up’ generally involves a lot more physical elements,” Yu said.

The co-ed team maintains competition and excitement; however, it tends to be less intense compared to the boys team. Yu said, “The importance of basic athleticism and team dynamics exist in both, though execution may differ.”

Having both boys and girls on the co-ed team also

affects practice. Each respective practice runs differently due to different coaching styles, and the boys team has a slightly more intensive practice in terms of skill development and fitness drills. “I would imagine that boys practice is more intense since their team collectively has more experience with volleyball,” Yared said.

In general, the boys and co-ed teams don’t cross paths.

Many players know each other outside of volleyball, but seperate practices and games mean that they often don’t encounter each other on the court.

The reality of college recruitment:

Athlete’s next step

University, an NCAA Division I school.

by Megan Harrington Contrary to popular belief, when looking at which schools In high school, many students to commit to, athletes don’t play on sports teams, but not always focus on athletic skills or many are skilled or dedicated opportunities. enough to continue Senior hockey player through college.

Julia Blitz said, “I Although decided to committing commit to RPI to a (Rensselaer school to Polytechnic play your Institute) favorite because it sport had a lot of m a y variety in seem to majors and be fun and focused on the exciting, it sciences. It wasn’t comes with many only about the hockey.” unforeseen difficulties.

Another aspect of The college considering where to recruitment and commit is the distance it is commitment process is from home. Senior football not easy. Not only player Simon do students Abedi-Mungu, have to finish who committed their senior to Temple GRAPHIC BY KAT CHEN year and maintain University, said, their grades, but they also have “The school is only two hours to be in communication with away, so my family can always multiple colleges, some of which come and watch me.” offer athletes scholarship money.

Many players who plan to “Committing was a pretty commit knew from a young age hard process. You have a lot that they never wanted to stop of schools reaching out to you doing what they love. “I knew and so many things going on at as soon as I played football that I once,” senior and tennis player wanted to play football forever...

Matt Kleiman said. “For me, I and I just have been playing just visited my top schools that football since and I love the had interest in me and picked sport,” Abedi-Mungu said. the best fit for my tennis and Although the process of academic interests.” At the end committing may not be an easy of the difficult process, Kleiman one, many players will say it is ultimately committed to Lehigh well worth their time.

20 The Tide

SPORTS

Athlete of the Issue

May 2019

Kaden Hoffman makes his mark on and off the field

by Byron Fan and Kathleen Li Hoffman has been involved in sports since he was a child. He started with soccer, then began playing football in fifth grade and loved it immediately. Hoffman said, “I learned to love [football] because of all the friendships I made with my teammates and I loved the feeling of playing on Friday nights.” Ever since, he has continued playing football.

Around seventh grade,

Hoffman became interested in playing lacrosse. However, upon entering high school, he wasn’t sure if he would continue playing. His decision was finally made before freshmen year in the IB summer program, where he met a friend who convinced him to play. He had enjoyed playing lacrosse before high school, and at RM, the atmosphere surrounding the team made every practice a n especially memorable one, leading him to look forward to each practice.

Hoffman learned that

hard work and dedication was extremely important in shaping himself into a successful high school athlete. Hoffman said, “Going into my freshman year, I put in a lot of work because I was so excited about playing and I got a lot better.”

In freshman year, he played on the junior varsity team, but by the end of the season, his skills had improved enough that he was called up to varsity. Soon after, he selected lacrosse as his main sport.

By sophomore year, Hoffman had become a starter on the varsity

PHOTO COURTESY OF KADEN HOFFMAN

Hoffman readies up for the next play against the opposing team during the spring lacrosse season.

team. In his junior year, he would become captain, also earning First Team All-Division award. This year, he plans to lead the team to strive for both the Divisional and Regional Championship.

In the eyes of his coach, Hoffman has a work ethic that is unmatched by anyone else. Coach Puhl’s coaching philosophy is centered around creating a culture of sportsmanship and hard work. “I expect my players to represent our program with class and give everything they have in practices, games, and off the field. He [Hoffman] holds himself to high standards and lives up to his own expectations,” Puhl said.

On and off the field, Hoffman has earned the trust and respect of his teammates. Not only does he always encourage his teammates to improve, but he continuously pushes himself to the limit, becoming an integral part of the lacrosse team.

“Kaden recently scored his 100th career varsity point. He has been a model of what RM lacrosse represents and will leave a major hole to fill next season,” Puhl said. Hoffman takes on each role with determination, focusing on achieving his goals and helping others do the same.

“He leads by example with his play on the field. He also brings a positive and upbeat personality to the team,” Puhl added. “Kaden is coachable and thrives under

pressure.”

In addition to sports, Hoffman is also extremely dedicated to his academic life. Earlier this year, he earned the Scholar-Athlete award, and he has also been a part of the International Baccalaureate Program since his freshman year.

“He is a straight A student in the IB Program,” Puhl said.

His ability to balance both academics and athletics have inspired many friends, classmates and teammates around him.

Sophomore Kieran Chai-Onn said, “Just being around him I have learned different aspects and outlooks on life. Seeing him balance all the things have taught me there is time for all things as long as you have balance.”

As it is his senior year, Hoffman has ambitious plans for the future. He has commited to University of Virginia, and as of now, plans to study biomedical engineering in college. Although Hoffman is more interested in his academic career over a spot on a college lacrosse team, he still plans on playing lacrosse on the club level in college.

Hoffman has made his mark in both RM athletics and academics, and his dedication and achievements will serve as a model for many student-athletes for the future.

“He has been a model of what RM lacrosse represents and will leave a major hole to fill next season,” coach Puhl.

Field players shine amongst RM spring athletics

by Tide Sports Editors When it comes to the track and field team, most people automatically assume the team is all about running. This sport, however, is so much more than just that. A smaller aspect of the overall team, equally important, is the field team.

The field team is consisted of a smaller group of individuals interested in events outside of the standard running or hurdles.

They usually compete in events involving jumping or throwing on a field, such as discus, shot put, long jump, high jump, and others.

The number of field participants is significantly less than runners for track, even in meets. While track competitions

can have upwards of 30 runners in just one event, field events, like long jump or shot put a r e typically less than 15 participants. These field players often double up on field events as well.

Similar to how runners may run more than one course, s u c h as both the 100 and 200 meter sprints, many field players also participate in multiple events.

Generally, throwers will compete in both shot put and discus,

PHOTO BY NYAWA ALLIEU

Field players practice competition events in hopes of best distance.

while jumpers may vie for long jump and triple jump.

Although many students don’t know about this unique opportunity until they begin practice, many players often make the switch to field when they arrive a t

tryouts.

Junior Princella Allieu said, “The funny thing is I actually [did not] know field was a thing when I first did try out.

I actually went to tryouts for sprinting but it was really hard for me to keep up.”

Luckily, throwing coach Brett Goyne was able to scout out her potential for field.

Many athletes compete in both track and field events, making field events just their extra bit, however there are many athletes who compete solely in field events.

Junior Fabienne Assiongbon, who does both, said, “Running is a bit more competitive compared to jumping, jumping is definitely more of a family type of culture.”

Others who have tried both track and field found field to be the opportunity they never had before high school. Sophomore Janna Stewartson said, “I’ve run my whole life, but never really had the opportunity to try jumping. It’s definitely been a great experience and something I wish more runners would do too.”

In comparison to track, field is more of a self-improvement sport. Allieu said, “The thing about field is that [there is] no real finish line like there is in track.

Your finish line is just yourself.

PHOTO BY NYAWA ALLIEU

Field player, Abubakar Audu Jr., gets his throw in during practice.

[You are] constantly looking to improve in the sport and the real competition is your own self and when you first get started you will improve so much once you learn the proper techniques.”

Many of the members on the field team just want to self improve, and feel less pressure of needing to beat others to the finish line. Practicing their throwing technique and strength is a great way for these players to improve in their different events.

With a big team such as track, players often find it hard to form tight bonds with every member of the team. Instead, bonds both on and off the track usually form within runners who run similar paces, the same events or do relays together. On the other hand, smaller teams, such as field, are able to generate a whole sport family dynamic As the smaller team, field often

fosters a closer bond between the jumpers and throwers compared to those on track. Stewartson said, “The community for field is a lot smaller, since most of the team usually runs. I feel like there are definitely a lot of runners who would do great in field events too.”

Though field is less talked about, a lot of RM players have placed very well in competition, winning top rankings in most of the county wide meets, and even succeeding in regional and state competitions.

With a team growing in numbers and success, it should be no surprise to see this team achieve more and more success and individual personal records in the next few years. With four throwers and even more jumpers on pace to make states for this season, the future looks bright with this all-star team.