The Tide - October 2015

News 2-4

Show Your Spirit 5

Opinions 6-8

International 10-11

Center Spread 12-13

La Marea 14

Arts 16-17

Features 18-20

Sports 22-24

Football leads historic season

PHOTO BY FRANK AVENILLA

The football team enters in style at Roy Lester Stadium, led by senior captains (from left to right) Jonathan Ortega (18), Michael Silver (12), and Daniel Alexander (4).

Hottest start of decade Road trip to Homecoming

by Alex and Eric Goldstein Around the halls of RM, there has been excitement among the students and staff as the fall season approaches. Around the country, fall is associated with football, whether it is professional, college or high school competition. This year there is a new enthusiasm in the air when it comes to the Rockets football team.

The 2015-2016 Richard Montgomery football team has been the most inspiring since most people can remember. Starting the season at 5-0 gave the students and

athletes experiences to look forward to. Even though the Rockets face tough opponents towards the end of the regular season, the team has the mental and physical toughness to make this a season to remember.

The team’s mentality so far has been a combination of confidence and the drive to do their best, which pushes the team to new limits. Players such as senior captains Michael Silver and Daniel Alexander are testing the boundaries to see what they can achieve as individual players.

“The seniors are just a huge help because they’re really supportive and they push

FOOTBALL, cont. page 22

by Hannah Greco, Julia Wang, and Christina You Homecoming and the Spirit Week leading up to it is an annual school tradition. This year introduced a few improvements, but was ultimately filled with the same excitement and school spirit.

The homecoming game was relatively early this year, so spirit week started on Sept. 28. New spirit days included Wednesday’s Dapper Day, where the halls were filled with formalwear, and Thursday’s Theme Day for this year’s homecoming theme, Road Trip. Each grade

represented a different American region and competed for the best themed hallway decorations, with seniors taking the win.

Even the newly minted freshmen were thrilled about the week and ready to show school spirit. “I'm excited to see how full out and how crazy the school goes for spirit week. Personally, I would be really disappointed if I show up on the Monday of spirit week dressed all out and then discover that nobody else went all out with me,” freshman Cammy Losada said, in preparation for Spirit Week.

The week ended with the whole school unified in RM’s school colors on the HOMECOMING, cont. page 2

News, 3

Opinions, 6

Arts, 16

Features, 19

Sports, 22

Final exams

Water on Mars

Mrs. Stanton’s art show

Witches on Halloween

Coach Alie Brooks

NEWS 2 The Tide Students have a blast at Homecoming DANCE, cont. from page 1

traditional Black and Gold Day. A pep rally was held on Friday, featuring the RM fall sports captains and performances from the cheerleading, poms, and boms teams. Inclement weather did not allow the pep rally to be held outside for the first time, as planned, but the indoor one still got everyone pumped up.

The homecoming football game kicked off against Walter Johnson at 6:30 p.m. on Friday with the twenty seniors on homecoming court walking the field. Seniors Mfundo Kaendera, and Kimberly Stamets were crowned homecoming king and queen, respectively. “You always see in the movies: how someone is voted homecoming queen and it’s really cool. But I never really...expected it would be me,” she said. “I was grateful my school would even consider me,” Kaendara agreed.

Although the rain still hadn’t let up, the students of RM continued their spirit by coming out to support RM. Ultimately, RM beat WJ 43-6, setting up a victorious atmosphere for the next day’s events.

The dance took place in the school gym from 8-11pm on October 3rd, with decorations matching the Road Trip theme.

Sophomore class secretary Esika Savsani believed this year’s theme was an improvement on previous years’. “We wanted something more straightforward this year and that’s how road trip came along,” Savsani said.

Senior and school president Zack Khan said that the SGA wanted to choose a homecoming theme that students could identify with better. “We figured that a lot of students have traveled around the country to different states, or at least had an idea of what people from those states wear,” Khan said.

Other students, however, felt unsure. “The theme is unique, but I’m not sure how you are supposed to coordinate a dress or outfit to the dance because road trips do not usually have specific colors,” sophomore Raquel

Burnham explained.

Overall, the night received a fair amount of participation, with the school having reached their goal of selling at least 700 tickets.

The gym was split into two halves: one featuring the dance floor, and one with rows of tables and couches where students could take a break from dancing.

Road signs covered the walls, and there was a projector next to the DJ’s booth that screened scenes to mesh with the music. There was also a photobooth as well as a separate area photography area for the classical homecoming pictures.

a massive headache.”

One of the highlights of the event was the signature slow dance between the homecoming king and queen.

Stamets remembers this as the most nervewracking part of the night. “I was most nervous about slow dancing with Mfundo - I was afraid I would mess up - but he is a good dancer so he helped me through it,” she said.

Overall, the energy of the night was high—there was always something going on. “Highlights for me were crowd surfing and dancing on top of the stage,” said Ramesh.

NEWS IN BRIEF

MCPS shifts calendar to acommodate primary election This year’s presidential primary date has been shifted from Monday, April 5 to Tuesday, April 26, so Montgomery County Public Schools has decided to move the Teacher Work Day as well, from Tuesday, April 4 to Thursday, March 24.

On Tuesday, May 26, the Montgomery County Board of Education discussed how to revise the 2016 calendar to accommodate the changes of the primary. Since MCPS facilities are used as polling places, students would be unable to attend school on the day of the primary.

If the primary were scheduled on April 5, early voting would start on Easter Sunday. To avoid this, lawmakers in Annapolis voted to delay the primary until April 26. This May, Gov. Larry Hogan signed the bill to approve this alteration.

With third marking period ending on March 23, Superintendent Larry Bowers hoped that having a professional day for teachers the following day would allow them to finalize students’ grades before spring break starts. Bowers also claimed it would allow for a better break and transition between third and fourth marking period.

“I use the day to make sure that everything is done properly,” said social studies teacher William Vicari. “Grades are due immediately following the professional day so it’s nice to have this little bit of time to finish the work,” he added.

Students will now start spring break a day earlier and finish it two days earlier as well.

By Alice Zhu

RM comes together for annual canned food drive

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETOUCH

Students danced their hearts out to the vibrant DJ at homecoming.

“The homecoming dance gives Senior Jonathan Ortega you options: there is a lounge, a described a similarly electric snack room, beverage aisle, and atmosphere.

“Everyone [was] a dance floor,” sophomore class dancing and everyone [was] having president Alex Abrosimov said. a good time”, he said. “You can “I believe that anyone can go to really see how a lot of groups in RM homecoming and have a good didn’t exactly stay in their group time.” and interacted with everyone.”

This year brought a new “We were dancing so hard to feature where students could that mediocre music–it being our request specific songs before the last homecoming and all. I even dance, leading to better quality slammed my head into one of the playlists, according to some speakers, but the night was all students. “I especially appreciated worth it,” agreed senior Angela the few Drake songs they played Kim. and a lot of the high tempo songs Homecoming once again had really solid drops,” senior successfully kicked off the Raja Ramesh said. school year with a time of unity, However, others gave the excitement, and community in music mixed reviews. “The DJ RM. “It’s about the memories I this year wasn’t as on point as last think that hopefully kids create year. It was just a bit too loud and for themselves and with each I couldn’t even tell what songs other about their whole high were playing,” senior Judah school experience,” principal Canizares said. “By the end I had Damon Monteleone said.

October/November

October 30

End of First Marking Period One down, three to go.

October 31

Halloween The spookiest time of year!

November 11

Veterans Day Honor those who have served our country.

November 12

Report Card Distribution Also very spooky.

November 13

Opening Night for “Les Misérables” One more day ‘til revolution...

November 26

October 2015

Thanksgiving Prepare your appetites.

Recently, RM coordinated its efforts for the annual canned food drive, an event to help those in need. All the school’s first period classes participated in order to gather as many canned goods as they could.

The drive was sponsored by the Student Government Association which donated the collected cans to local food shelters.

In recent years, the SGA adopted a can requirement as part of payment for students to attend the Homecoming Dance.

Mr. Thomas’s first period won the competition with a total of 517 cans. Mr. Hines’s first period was close behind, with 497 cans, followed by Ms. Kim’s class in third place, and Mr. Stillman’s class at a close fourth place. Mr. Thomas’s first period class was rewarded with a free breakfast from Omlette Man, and all classes with more than 100 cans were given free doughnuts and juice.

“We are very fortunate. We go home with meals waiting for us, and we don’t have to hesitate to go to the grocery store whereas some people need to stop and think about whether they can afford to go to the grocery store or not,” history teacher Robert Hines said.

Mr. Hines’s first period class collected over one thousand cans for the drive last year. “We have to keep in mind that no matter what we use here as motives, it’s really for people who are in need,” he explained.

By Chloe Noh

Board of Education works to expand teacher diversity In early September, Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers published an update on the MCPS Teacher Workforce Diversity Initiative, which was discussed during a board meeting in December of last year. According to a released memorandum, the initiative focused on “recruiting, retaining, and developing the best workforce in public education,” primarily by increasing the diversity of the candidate pool for teaching positions.

Bowers described a strategic plan to accomplish this goal, which included a new recruitment program as well as a redesigned teacher selection process to attract highly qualified people with diverse backgrounds.

According to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, people of color make up more than 45 percent of the student population but constitute a mere 17.5 percent of teachers.

Although the student population is continuously becoming more diverse, the teacher workforce is seeing little change. In addition, an analysis of teacher diversity prepared by the National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teaching Force found that increasing the percentage of teachers of color in classrooms is connected directly to closing the achievement gap.

“I believe that getting more teachers of color will allow educators to bring their diverse backgrounds into their students’ education,” junior Summer Oh said, co-president of the Diverse Voices Club at RM. “The new ideas and mindsets these educators will bring will not only teach students of color to be proud of their heritage, but all students in our schools to be more open-minded about different cultures,” she added.

By Anna Chen

AWARDS

Congratulations to the following students for being selected as 2015-2016 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Raveesha Arora, Rohith Battina, Jeffrey Chang, Grace Cheung, Michael Ding, Ly Do, Daniel Feshbach, Valencia Fu, Jacob Gramlich, Meghan Hu, Eszter Janossy, Jacob Klosowski, Cathleen Kong, Anna Lavrentieva, Christopher Lee, Alan Li, Eric Li, Kevin Liu, Yu Lu, Eileen Moudou, Siddharth Nayak, Quang Nguyen, Sunny Ouyang, Heesu Park, Natarajan Ramesh, Michael Riederer, Hannah Smith, Seema Snitkovsky, Cynthia Song, Kimberly Steininger, Jared Stolove, Rebecca Stryer, Caroline Wang, Timothy Wang, Dashiell Yeatts-Lonske, Kevin Yin, Alexander Yu, Paxon Yu, David Zhang, Emily Zhang, and Vivien Zhu.

The Tide

NEWS

October 2015

3

New start times change schedules for all students

by Daniel Yeh

For years, parents and students alike have advocated for a later high school start time in MCPS. However, budgetary concerns have slowed the progress of any significant change.

In the summer of 2015, MCPS took the feedback and made the first steps towards remedying the issue of student sleep deprivation by announcing a 20-minute delay to the schedule. This announcement has prompted much debate, with some arguing that the delay is an inconvenience, while others claim that it has been long overdue.

The reasoning behind the bell time shift came from student complaints about waking up early in the morning for school. Students argued that their school performance was hindered because they felt tired and sluggish in the morning.

A study published by the Journal of Adolescent Health found that only eight percent of high school students get the necessary amount of sleep on an average school night.

The study also found that teens do not stay up later because they don’t want to sleep, but rather because the delayed release of melatonin in the adolescent brain makes it so that teenagers don’t feel sleepy until later at night. This means that a 20minute shift in the schedule may not have the desired effect.

Another study done by the American Educational Research Association, revealedthat students tend to to do better on exams when they are given a later start time. “I definitely do worse in school when I’m sleep deprived.” junior Sam Pierce said. “Focusing on the lesson in class gets

harder, trying to do my work quickly and keeping track of things in my head like numbers becomes more difficult,” Pierce added.

In the past year, MCPS has received more than one thousand emails regarding the bell time change, held two open hearings on the bell time options, and conducted surveys through local stakeholder groups

buses arrive less than five minutes later, or even several minutes earlier than they had previously.

Senior Julian Avenilla said that although his bus pick-up time was changed to fit with the new bell schedule, some of his friends still have similar bus schedules and they do not receive the full benefit that he does.

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Changes in start times impact after-school activities, including school clubs and sports. to get feedback on the potential options.

MCPS compiled the feedback into a comprehensive analysis that weighed the pros and cons of the various options.

The schedule change has had a varied impact on students. While some students have seen the full 20-minute delay or more reflected in their bus schedule, opponents to the change have complained that their

The perceived effect of the change on this issue have been mixed.

“I think more than 20 minutes is needed in order to feel results but I think I do feel better during first and second period,” sophomore Liza Brover said. Twenty minutes isn’t a large amount time, and its impact can vary from student to student.

“I actually preferred the old [schedule]

because I don’t feel any different in the morning,” sophomore Alex Caprara said.

It is important to note that in the course of this 20-minute delay, major roads become more congested as the busiest section of morning rush hour approaches.

Students who live farther away from school are impacted most by this phenomenon, as their buses travel through major roads and highways. “The change doesn’t do anything but make me late for work after school, as I’m stuck in traffic during the height of rush hour” Pierce said.

On the other hand, students and teachers who live close by are able to avoid the traffic. “I live fairly close to this school so I don’t notice a difference at all,” science teacher Jerry Turner said in reference to traffic during his morning commute.

Starting school 20 minutes later also causes the school day to end 20 minutes later. Students who are already very busy after school lose time to honor their outof-school commitments, and after-school clubs and sports practices are affected as well. “[The change] makes the [practice] schedule a bit more congested, but isn’t horribly detrimental,” said Avenilla, who is a varsity football player. “Many practices across sports have been abbreviated in some way,” he added.

Varsity football coach Joshua Klotz pointed out that the practices themselves “end at the same times as last year,”which means that the practices have been shortened by twenty minutes, giving players less time in the weight room.

MCPS has finally acted after many years but the debate has remained unresolved.

Students both far and close to their schools, and teachers have all experienced the change differently, but the question of its long-term effects remains to be seen.

MCPS announces an end to final exams next year

by Ummara Khan Montgomery County Public Schools has made the difficult decision to eliminate final exams in middle schools and high schools. This decision comes as one of the first of its kind, possibly setting an example for other schools across the country.

Starting in the 2016-2017 school year, the county plans to completely eliminate all final exams.

Final exams tend to cause a lot of stress for both the students and county officials.

While MCPS students do relatively well on state and national exams, the failing rate for some county final exams is alarming.

According to the Washington Post, 50

“Although final exams in every class may not be optimal, completely getting rid of them would be throwing away a valuable tool.”

-Laura Goetz percent to 60 percent of high school students failed their math finals in 2013.

These statistics attracted a lot of negative attention from the parents, students and the general public.

Concerns about over-testing have increased recently, especially with the introduction of the new national Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam (PARCC).

The state has made it clear that the PARCC is not going anywhere.

In an attempt to decrease the burden on

students, MCPS gathered feedback from various sources. According to the MCPS FAQ page about the upcoming changes to final exams, MCPS has developed a plan to “Eliminate two-hour middle school exams in middle school courses beginning in 201516”, as well as “Eliminate two-hour high school exams in PARCC and HSA courses beginning second semester 2015-16, similar to current practice with AP/IB courses” This would mean that high school students would be exempt only from final exams this year, and would still be required to take midterm exams. Furthermore, the only exams that are being removed this year are those exams with the same overlapping subjects as the HSA (English 10, Algebra, Government, Biology). MCPS plans to eliminate all high school exams during the 2016-17 school year.

Earlier in March, Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers brought forth the option of eliminating the traditional, two-hour-long finals, and replacing them with smaller, marking period assessments that will be distributed throughout the year during normal class periods. In July, the Board unanimously embraced this option.

As part of the plan, MCPS will be aligning all its assessments with state and national standards.

Some people are happy with the change. “This was a victory for the students that reduces stress and burdensome time spent preparing for final exams towards the end of the semester,” student member of the board (SMOB) Eric Guerci said.

Others aren’t convinced this decision is as beneficial as the county claims.

“I do not believe that eliminating final exams is the answer to the over testing problem,” math teacher Laura Goetz said.

“Final exams, I believe, have played a very important role in preparing kids for high stakes exams that we claim we want everybody to take....it’s good preparation.”

Goetz went on to say that not everybody was failing the exams, and for the most part, students who were failing the exams weren’t putting their best effort forward when it came time to prepare for the exams.

“Although final exams in every class may not be optimal, completely getting rid of

them would be throwing away a valuable tool.” Goetz said. “[Final Exams are] a good way of knowing whether you can move onto the next level...or if you should redo

how they are progressing...this is the most tested generation in the history of American education.. it’s so important that students learn to function well in environments that are timed and pressured.”

GRAPHIC BY SYDNEY SUN

MCPS’s decision to remove final examinations is the death of a long standing practice. it, especially in subjects, like foreign language, where the topics you cover in one level are applied directly to the next….

They improve test taking skills as well.” freshman Maki Ishibashi said.

Although some people have strong opinions on this matter, most seem to be somewhere in the middle. Most people are weighing both the pros and cons, and haven’t decided what the best course of action is.

“If and when they are canceled, I suppose I’ll have some mixed feelings about it,” English teacher Scott Bayer said.

“I think it’s important for students to have these benchmarks, by which they can see

“I mean, I think it would be nice,” senior Atesu Park said, “because it’s less stress for the students and less grading for the teachers, so I think it could benefit everyone in general, but there might be some negative consequences we might not think about.”

Whether this upcoming change will be beneficial or detrimental is something yet to be seen. The Office of Curriculum is currently still working out the details.

Teachers will continue to distribute their tests throughout the quarter, but final semester exams will eventually be replaced with smaller assessments that will make up a good portion of a student’s grade.

4

The Tide

NEWS

October 2015

RM decides to go digital with Google Classroom

by Jared Stolove This year, RM’s resource team decided to implement a new technology: Google Classroom. Integrated with other free Google products, such as Google Docs, Gmail, and Drive, the technology provides an online forum for teachers and students to communicate. The school’s ultimate goal is to phase out Edline and replace it with a more versatile tool.

Google Classroom has many features that the school intends to use this year.

These include sharing assignments with students, making announcements, and providing a place for students to turn in their work.

“I can literally just open the app, and boom, it’s done.”

-Jerry Turner Teachers were given a brief introduction to the technology over the summer.

“Our resource teacher had us use Google Classroom before the school year started, during our training, so that showed us all a little bit of how it worked,” science teacher Stacey Boccher explained, “but we weren’t given any specific training.”

Because the introduction to the technology was only cursory, some

teachers have made more use of it than others. “Those teachers that use Google for other areas of their life jumped in on that and others are taking their time,” Boccher added.

Nonetheless, some teachers have found Google Classroom to be a very useful tool.

Storing materials in the cloud, rather than on computers, can be very convenient and accessible for both teachers and students alike.“I like the phone app because if I am sitting at home and am having my coffee, I can literally just open the app and boom, it’s done,” science teacher Jerry Turner said.

Students can also access and turn in assignments with the app, attaching files and photos of their work. Students on sports teams or other after school activities have found these features particularly helpful. “I like it because it’s just another convenient app on my phone where I can access documents and turn things in without necessarily needing a computer, because I’m at school or on public transportation a lot,” senior Ann Weisgerber said.

Google Classroom describes itself as a tool to “save teachers time,” and this has certainly been the case for some at RM. Edline organizes classes separately, forcing teachers to manually upload the same links, files, and announcements multiple times.

“The good thing is that I can combine all of my like periods, put them all together, and send out one link, as opposed to posting three different things,” Turner said, “It literally saves me cumulatively hours of work.”

Google Classroom is growing rapidly, and students and staff may be underutilizing of many of its features. Recent updates to the technology include an ability to create discussion boards, add class activities and events with Google Calendar, and archive

old classes or lessons.

“I’m interested in using it as a discussion board but I haven’t tried it yet,” Boccher said.

While the central hub of Google Classroom allows teachers to post videos, students to comment on assignments, as well as organize their files, Turner still finds it easier to do most teaching activites more traditionally. “For us as teachers, to grade 150 things, it’s still easier to have a stack of papers.”

However, some students have been GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE critical of the new The introduction of Google Classroom has begun at RM this year. technology.

“In some ways, it has Nonetheless, most students were improved learning, but in other ways it has ambivalent about the upgrade. “Google simply complicated the learning process” Classroom didn’t change very much as said Junior Tyler Hoffman. Students opposed to using Edline,” said sophomore need to use their school-monitored John Luo. However, this may have more to emails to access google classroom, which do with teachers being unacquainted with can be both inconvenient and invasive, Google Classroom’s new features rather which, according to Hoffman is “deeply than the technology itself. unsettling”.

It’s clear that any new piece of “Mr. Hines keeps his class rather technology takes time to get used to. The old-fashioned, but I really enjoy it for school can only become more proficient his teaching and the fact that it works,” with its use, as teachers and students alike Hoffman said. “Update the system, not the are given time to familiarize themselves technology,” Hoffman added. with this new tool.

New SMOB agenda expands voice of RM students

by Katherine Wang Kicking off the new school year with a packed agenda, new Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Eric Guerci is planning to take full advantage of his term as the representative of middle and high school students from across the county.

The Student Member of the Board deals with serious responsibilities as a voter on all matters of the Board of Education, excluding boundary changes, capital and operating budgets, collective bargaining, negative personnel matters and school closings.

This important job is unpaid, but offers a $5,000 college scholarship, SSL hours,

receiving 52% of the popular vote.

Soon after his inauguration, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase junior began assembling his Smob Advisory Council (SAC), a committee directly under the SMOB that works with him throughout his administration on hot button issues and student outreach. The 25-student committee will be helping Guerci implement these objectives throughout the county.

The topics became part of the SAC’s published list of 2015-2016 priorities, an agenda that includes a wide range of issues: encouraging the Board to analyze qualitative student data in decision making, ensuring efficacy of the grading and assessment, and advocating for health curriculum additions such as mental health and consent. Guerci plans on reaching

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC GUERCI FOR SMOB

Eric Guerci has worked closely with students to get their opinions heard on the Board. and an honors-level social studies credit.

A hotly contested SMOB campaign last April between Guerci and RM’s very own Rachit Agarwal, culminated in one of the closest elections in SMOB history.

Ultimately, Guerci beat out Agarwal,

most or all of his objectives before his term ends on June 30, 2016.

Guerci’s plan to expand the health curriculum to include such topics as mental health, suicide awareness, and informed consent is something new to the

curriculum. These topics are sensitive and have been controversial in recent years, especially the concept of informed consent and its exact definition.

“I think it’s great that someone is finally acknowledging the mental health of students, especially at such a vulnerable age.” sophomore Irene Park said. “It’s nice to know that someone associated with the Board finally has our backs and knows that wellness comes first.” Park added.

Guerci’s overarching objective is to expand the student voice. Increasing student input on Board decisions and the number of Student Town Halls are other crucial parts of his bold agenda. With the motto “working for you”, the 38th Student Member of the Board has aggressively used a number of student communication tools, including his website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

“The thing I value most in a SMOB is having someone who’s relatable and approachable on the surface, but, whether subtle or not,...that works tirelessly every night and every day and refuses to sacrifice the interests of the students,” Guerci said. “They make decisions that may not necessarily be what all the board members think, but what the students [of the county] agree with.”

Guerci recently uploaded the first episode of the SMOB Minute on YouTube through the MCPSTV channel, the first in a series of minute-long video updates centered on sharing the the work accomplished by the SMOB on the Board.

The pilot focused on the new MCPS assessment strategy for high school students, with the Board replacing final exams with more manageable quarterly assessments effective next school year.

It also highlighted Guerci’s first visits to schools to discuss bell times and other topics directly with the students.

Guerci has also reached out to many student leadership groups across the county, hoping to foster a better connection between organizations such as MCR. Some RM students view these efforts as commendable. “He’s doing an awesome job getting student input,” said Agarwal, “I’m

definitely seeing more people involved in the discussion through his website and social media.”

“I’m definitely seeing more people involved in the discussion through his website and social media.”

-Rachit Agarwal Despite his loss in the SMOB election, Agarwal continues to maintain his strong friendship with Guerci, who recently helped promote Agarwal’s RM’s DECA club. “I’m ready to see his Vineyard Vines tie collection at some point, too,” joked Agarwal.

RM students are looking forward to the changes Guerci’s term will bring. “He and his team have radically increased the SMOB’s visibility by expanding his efforts to communicate with students online and in person,” said MCR-SGA President and RM junior David Edimo.

“I think it’s great how Eric Guerci uses his Facebook page and social media like Youtube to keep students in the county informed of what he is doing as SMOB,” added sophomore Esika Savsani, “he hasn’t reached out to me personally but his interactions through the internet and the work he and his SAC do look like he works very hard as SMOB.” With MCPS greeting the largest high school and middle school enrollment in history this year, Guerci has an especially tough expectation to meet as the collective voice for more than 78,000 students. But his drive to engage the student community may be enough to accomplish just that.

Show Your Spirit!

The Tide

October 2015

5

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Above: A group of juniors and seniors pose for a photo in their formal wear on dapper day.

Right: Sophomore Daniel Gelillo celebrates theme day by wearing the Maryland state flag as a symbol of the DMV.

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

Left: Seniors Anisha Pancholi, Nathan Serway, Maddie Schuck, Clare Duffy, and Nicole McNamara display their class pride with their blue bandanas and outfits.

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Above: Juniors Chris Park and Joshua Lebedinsky show off their school pride with the RM Rocket.

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Above: Spirited sophomores celebrate spirit week by wearing tie-dye shirts together.

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Above: Seniors dress in togas to show their class spirit on Toga Tuesday.

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Above: Freshmen show their school spirit and class pride in their all-orange outfits.

6 The Tide

OPINIONS

The Tide Online has finally arrived

by Andrew Liu RM’s student newspaper, The Tide, has been going strong for more than 40 years.

It has been a force of unity for the community of RM by covering school events as well as issues that affect the student body.

The newspaper encompasses a diverse set of interests, ranging from arts to international articles.

Every student can find something that they feel passionate about and read further on the topic.

Until the beginning of this school year, The Tide was only available in print edition and released about once a month.

Many students agreed with sophomore Eli Strauss-Reis’ statement that “it would be nice to learn about the news more than once a month and for more people to be able to write for the newspaper.”

Thus, it was only logical that The Tide would expand its horizons further by implementing the online version of the newspaper.

The Tide Online is innovative, modern and up to date.

With the rise of technology, The Tide Online corresponds

The Tide Online is innovative, modern, and up to date. effortlessly with the increase in online news sources.

Unlike the print newspaper, the online version of The Tide is updated almost daily, with sports articles, photos, and news. Football game scores are often published live as the game unfolds and act as quick updates for those who could not attend.

The online newspaper is definitely the way to go for students that like to stay up to date with local current events.

A useful calendar complete with sports games, arts events, and general information help ensure that students do not miss a thing.

In addition, more spots for writers are available online because there is no limit to how

subscription option where readers can receive emails with every published article. These immediate updates are a convenient way for busy students to get the news. “[The Tide Online] is very accessible, since everyone is on their phones and can check the website easily,” said senior Aashna Pradhan.

RM is not only about

The Space Debate: more than a half-century old and still sparking controversy.

NASA recently stated that they have discovered liquid on Mars. This comes after years of science-fiction movies and speculations about whether humanity was meant to “come to an end” on Earth.

The revelation came after a NASA orbiter took photos of the surface of Mars. Scientists believe that the streaks in the photos suggest that there is flowing water under the surface.

Unfortunately, samples cannot be taken by the current rover on Mars, Curiosity. This is because of the steep hills around the water source, as the UN Outer Space Treaty of 1967 states that space exploration can only be conducted if it avoids contamination from earth life. If a rover built on earth touches water on Mars, it could possibly transfer bacteria into the water. The cost of creating a rover without any earth-like bacteria on it is high and it is not ever a 100% guarantee.

Letters to the Editor

Seniors face daunting task of college apps

Although senior year is suposed to a relaxing reprieve after the stress of junior year, this really isn’t the case when you take college applications into account. Seniors are burdened with leading extracurricular activities, keeping their grades up, taking those last standaridized tests, and writing college essays.

While there isn’t much that can be done about this problem, underclassmen be warned.

-James Gordy, 12th grade

Homecoming dance a success for SGA

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Editors update the online paper (thermtide.com) nearly every day. many articles can be posted on the website, while the print version usually has only about 20 pages.

Students who are very engaged in the RM community or love journalism have the opportunity to write several articles in a short period of time. Furthermore, they have the freedom to choose their topics, as the online version has unlimited articles.

The other perk is that this newspaper is accessible to anyone who comes across it on the Internet. For example, it can be beneficial for a middle schooler deciding between attending RM’s IB Program or their home school. The student would be able to look into the events and general environment of the school through articles and photos.

The Tide Online also has a

academics, but also about the exciting opportunities that can be found, whether it be joining drama productions, sports, or clubs.

The accomplishments and stories of the members of these organizations can finally be shared in real time with the arrival of The Tide Online.

Going online can spread information about these activities to past RM students, too. RM alumni can also use the site to check up on their alma mater and its evolution since they attended.

Students and faculty alike should be sure to check out the online edition of The Tide at www. thermtide.com, as it has updated information as well as exclusive articles that may not be featured in the monthly print edition.

“Yeah, why not? Just go for it.”

These are the words of RM senior Mac Morgan, in reference to whether or not the government should provide NASA with more funding in order to undertake further studies of Mars and space in general.

However, living in the era of immense American debt, not to mention the ever-so-slowly rising inflation of the dollar and the high prices of college education, is it ethical to give money to truly “foreign” and far-fetched expeditions?

“I understand that this is a big

discovery, but right now, what NASA needs to do is study. In a couple years, after NASA truly studies the evidence they’ve found on Mars, maybe then we can send people up there,” said junior Nicole Soto.

Soto also expressed her dismay with high taxes, and that giving more funding to NASA would most likely increase taxes levied on her family and America.

But it’s not just about the money. If we look at past space explorations, most notably the Apollo 11 mission to land man on the moon, what fruits do they hold?

Sure, we have a huge amount of evidence about the universe, but how much of that came from landing on the moon? The moon’s texture, surface, and gravity can be studied without human expeditions there. Although the mission did gain us pride and space footage, was it really worth the then $25.4 billion dollars (now $150 B) spent?

The answer to these questions are effectively debated by both experts and citizens, because money is scarce and resources are few. Taking care of our current planet seems like a more realistic plan than searching for a new one.

Extraterrestrial life debate reignited by water found on Mars

by Darian Garcia

October 2015

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

I got a lot of feedback about homecoming, I heard good things about the decorations and the DJ. This year we had a whole LED screen behind the DJ. It was huge, since that’s what we spent a lot of money on. It was really nice and everyone liked it. Some seniors said it was their best homecoming. We had about 900 people, so we were 100 away from selling out, which was a goal for SGA. We were super happy with the result and it was a great night.

-Zack Khan, 12th grade

Hallway decorations unite student body Fall spirit week was very fun and this was the first year I helped out with hallway decorations. Although the sophomores lost, I had a lot of fun making posters and drawing crabs on the walls! I think the hallway decorations really livened up the atmosphere but I was sad to see them up for only one day. I think it would be great if the hallway decorations stayed up for two, three days or even the whole week.

-Sue Lee, 10th grade

Sports teams irritated at lack of space I’m on the girl’s varsity soccer team and one problem we have encountered is space for practices. There is just not enough space for all these teams to be practicing. It’s really hard because sometimes both soccer and football have upcoming games, but the football team usually gets the turf.

-Sonia Postolache, 11th grade

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

Submissions may be edited for length and/or clarity.

The Tide

250 Richard Montgomery Drive Rockville, Maryland 20852 www.thermtide.com 301-610-8000 The Tide is the student newspaper of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. The Tide is dedicated to keeping the Richard Montgomery school community accurately informed and to providing a forum for student expression.

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

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

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

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

Editors-in-Chief...................Grace Cheung, Andy Kostka, Nikita Sardana, Cynthia Song News........................................................................Jared Stolove, Emily Zhang, Phil Zhang Opinions......................................................Jenny Chen, Darian Garcia, Anagha Lokhande International........................................................................Akanksha Girish, Jisue Gonzalez Center Spread..............................................................................Cynthia Wang, Muye Wang La Marea............................................................................................................Lisa Hernandez Features..........................................................Liz Choi, Anna Lavrentieva, Victoria Priester Arts................................................................................Michelle Dubovitsky, Cathleen Kong Sports.............................................................Anders Alilio, Madeleine Cheng, Daisy Grant Photo...................................................Taylor Balfour, Maddie Franke, Jessica Ji, Mona Lee Graphics..................................................................................................Valencia Fu, Kern Lee Online.................................................Sofia Bhalwani, Hana Huie, Kevin Pan, Fonda Shen Sponsors......................................................................Ms. Laurie Brown, Mrs. Bonnie Peyer

The Tide

OPINIONS

Black & Gold

October 2015 7

Does the delayed start time benefit students, or is it just inconvenient?

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Later start times help students learn An extra twenty minutes helps no one

by Cindy Song Thanks to the new MCPS bell schedule, students can finally get the extra minutes of rest that they have been craving.

For years, MCPS students, parents, and staff members have pushed for later school start times, citing concerns over student sleep deprivation and its impact on academic performance.

The new school bell times for the 2015-2016 school year are a much-awaited solution to this issue, aimed towards providing a modest, yet helpful increase in the amount of sleep that students are able to get school nights.

Beginning this school year, middle and high school students will be showing up to school 20 minutes later, while elementary school students will be starting a whopping

teachers questions outside of class. With an extra 20 minutes, students’ schedules are more flexible.

“It gives me more time to get to school, so if I wanted to come early so I could talk to a teacher then it’s a lot easier for me to do that,” said RM Freshman Danya Levy.

The similarity of the new high school bell schedule to the former middle school schedule also provided an easier transition for this year’s freshmen from middle to high school.

“Before, when I was in eighth grade, I was looking ahead and I thought, wow, I’m gonna have to get up so early, and I was thinking about how ridiculous it was, and then I realized that it was going be 20 minutes later, and I felt a lot better about it,” explained Levy.

Benefits of the new MCPS bell schedule are also felt by teachers who have long anticipated later school start times.

“I’m in favor of the new changes to

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

With the 20-minute bell times shift, students may be more prepared for school.

10 minutes later.

“I like the bell time changes because you get more sleep. I usually wake up at 6:30 a.m. but now I can get up at 7,” said sophomore Amy Wong.

Wong explained how the new bell schedule provides students who attend extracurricular activities on school nights with more time to rest: “Out-of-school activities like MCYO (Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras) go so late, so I have no choice but to sleep later. So the new bell times are helpful, and don’t really take away from my homework time but let me schedule my time better.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), sleep deprivation among adolescents corresponds with decreased academic success as well as higher vulnerability to car accidents and mental health problems.

“I like that school starts later, because I think that my brain works better then,” said sophomore Katie Cobb, who vouches for the correlation between more sleep and improved mental capabilities.

The later school start times allow students to receive a more rewarding education. Because of their overlooked busy schedules, many students often encounter difficulties finding time to ask

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Black

the schedule,” said science teacher Kevin Martz. “I think that anything that makes the school start time a little bit later is an improvement.”

Many students, even those who do not enjoy major increases in their sleep schedules, appreciate the greater flexibility provided by the later school start times.

“I still wake up at the same time,” said sophomore Christina You. “But it’s a little bit of an improvement, because I’m not in such a rush to get to my classes.”

The new bell schedule is cost-efficient in light of the Montgomery County Board of Education’s (BOE) budget of no more than $10 million a year for the bell time change.

Out of all options for changing the bell schedule, the 20 minute later school start time proposal was the most inexpensive, at no additional costs to MCPS. In contrast, a different proposal in which high school classes would have started at 8:50 a.m. was estimated to cost $3.9 million annually.

While the new bell times certainly have their fair share of opponents, they are nevertheless a promising first step towards more potential improvements in the future.

“I think that the county was trying to show that they were listening to people’s voices—to the voices of the community,” said assistant principal Kimberly Heidler.

The BOE’s decision took into consideration the opinions of concerned members across MCPS. Public feedback on proposed bell time changes was heard through channels including community forums, focus groups, surveys, emails, as well as public hearings earlier this year.

Student voices are becoming increasingly valued in schools throughout MCPS, and the county’s response to longstanding concerns over student sleep schedules is definitely something to be celebrated.

by Vivian Yeh

MCPS introduced a significant change in the 2015-2016 school year: later start and end times. Both high schools and middle schools were pushed back twenty minutes to allow students more time to sleep and do homework.

There are various arguments for and against this delay, but the new bell times are indeed unnecessary and actually hurt students rather than help them.

After-school activities and sports pose a major problem for students due to the new bell times. Students already lack time during the day for their busy schedules, which include school, homework, extracurriculars, and volunteer work.

Now, with even less time to complete these tasks, students have no choice but to reduce their shuteye time.

Sophomore Evelyn Sturrock commented on this dilemma: “I end up staying twenty minutes later at night because all the activities are pushed back.

Activities outside of school still start at the same time as they did last year, and I barely have enough time to eat and do homework. I end up staying up later and later and later.”

Sturrock brought up yet another disadvantage of the bell times. Although school-related activities are pushed back, activities outside of school retain their time frames.

Having to attend these out-of-school extracurriculars at the same times, students are forced to finish their homework in less time than before.

Student athletes face serious consequences from the new school end times. Practices last longer in the afternoon and games can stretch late into the night, leaving students with no time to perform other tasks.

Game days, especially away games that occur at distant schools, are especially

Gold However, these efforts have proven to be futile.

Many students still go to sleep and wake up at the same times they did last year.

“I don’t think the times give much of a difference because I still come to school at the same time as last year and I still wake up at the same time,” said junior Jisue Gonzales.

Sophomore Charlotte Hirsch shares the same struggle: “My bus comes around the same time as last year, so the only effect the change has on me is extending my school day. I have to get up at the same time and I get home almost an hour later. In theory I am in favor of the bell change, but in reality it does nothing to help my sleep schedule.”

One obstacle that stands in the way of students’ ability to sleep in is morning transportation.

Not only are most morning bus times around the same as before, but the start of the school day also coincides with rush hour.

In order to avoid the frightening traffic mess, students have to wake up early and hop on their ride to school.

Because of rush hour, the delayed bell times are inconvenient and also tiresome.

They also have no effect on student attendance, according to attendance secretary Claire Wall. “I don’t know if the [bell times] are having an effect. I’m still seeing the same kids who were tardy last year, but now twenty minutes later,” said Wall.

However, the administration seems to show a slight preference towards the new

PHOTO BY TAYLOR BALFOUR

The change in bell times leads to in practices and games ending later in the day. time-consuming.

“It’s kind of annoying for the tennis team, because our games are usually from 3:45- 5:00 p.m. and I get home at 5:30 p.m. The twenty minutes make a forty minute difference. Our games can also go really late, and that’s a lot of time,” said sophomore Isabelle Zhou.

The late games and practices take a huge toll on student athletes’ academic performance and sleep duration. Students have to battle the combined pressure of school, homework, and sports, and end up dozing in class the next day as a result.

The original intent for implementing the new bell times was to provide high schoolers with more time to sleep.

bell times. “Personally, the bell times make the start of my day easier because I’m able to get a lot of work done before I’m being interrupted. The twenty minutes give me extra time to jump ahead,” explained Wall.

Overall, though, the negative effects placed on students heavily outweigh the positives.

To conclude, the updated bell times are truly unnecessary and only add to students’ burdens. If MCPS really wanted to bolster academic performance by increasing sleep time, they should have advocated for a more impactful plan, such as the plan calling for an hour delay of high school bell times.

At least then, students would be able to get the sleep they deserve.

8

The Tide

OPINIONS

Board of Ed’s decision to remove holiday names met with backlash

people would mind but I don’t think it’s really necessary,” said sophomore Vivian

by Hayley Goddard Yeh. There have been pushes by the Muslim Government calendars have always community in Montgomery County to had an uneasy relationship with religious add Eid al-Adha to the calendar, a single holidays. Many would cite, in this holiday from Islam. situation, the constitution’s “separation “I think it erases culture from people. of church and state.” Contrary to popular In the past they’ve celebrated Christian belief, those words do not appear in the holidays like Christmas but for some Constitution. reason now they aren’t adding Muslim Rather, they are a shortened and holidays and I think that’s really unfair,” oversimplified version of the First said junior Bethel Afful.

Amendment, which actually requires that “I feel like we, as the Muslim “Congress make no law respecting an community, should have dates on the establishment of religion, or prohibiting calendar that specify when our holidays the free exercise thereof.” come up because they’re important too,” This poses an issue with respect to said sophomore Makarim Abdelsaddig. the school calendar: how can we allow “Islam is one of the three major religions in religious holidays off from school so as the world and there are millions of people to respect religious and many students in our beliefs without school that are Muslim.” adhering to a specific Recently, Montgomery religion?

County has made small Montgomery adjustments that are County’s answer seen as a big deal, but do seems to be that they not significantly change will not. Jewish and anything.

Christian holidays “Everyone knows that have been on the those holidays are off for calendar for quite religious reasons so it is GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN YEH pointless and seems a little a while, giving students and faculty of those faiths a break. overly politically correct to try and get Students of those faiths do not have rid of the names,”said sophomore Melvin to worry about making up homework Lewis. when they get back from their religious Montgomery County has a large celebrations.

Jewish community compared to the rest They do not have to make the choice of the country, and this change erases that that students and faculty of faiths that are difference. less prominent in Montgomery County And although we may not have the (Islam, Hinduism, etc.) are forced to. largest population of Muslims or Hindus, But, of course, that problem is solved they are still here and deserve to have their by just taking the names off the calendar, holidays respected. yet leaving the dates exactly the same.

Removing the names of these holidays Montgomery County claims that these from the school calandar does nothing days are off due to secular reasons, like high but show deep disregard for the Judeoabsenteeism on those days. Many students Christian community and the importance are not convinced, regardless of faith. “It of their celebrations. seems like it’s just a cop-out so that they It is similar to the results of MCPS’s don’t have to provide more religious days 20-minute change to the bell schedule: for other religions,” said junior Natalie not enough to be effective, just enough to Neale-Lorello. give them a scapegoat and get students 20 Some students are indifferent. “I minutes closer to rush hour. personally don’t really mind if we have Maybe Montgomery County should days off for religious holidays for certain stop hiding behind their messages and groups of people. I get that maybe some start acting on them.

October 2015

Is skipping senior year of HS worth missing out on valuable memories?

by Isabel Knudson For many, senior year is a time of tradition, to commemorate the final moments of their formative years of school.

Senior year is when students get to rule the school and savor the last few months with their childhood friends. For many, a full senior year is what students have waited for since kindergarten.

But not for everyone.

Numerous students complete most of the credits they need for graduation by 11th grade, and senior year becomes redundant for them. Often times, students only attend school for half the day, or for just one period. Students spend nine extra months at school finishing up just one required credit, time they could have spent at an internship, a job, or at college.

Superintendents of school districts have noticed this pattern, and have come up with a possible solution – opting out of senior year.

For some students that have fulfilled all other graduation requirements, senior year is an unproductive year (hence senioritis).

As a result, certain superintendents have proposed that eligible students be allowed to take 12th grade English online over the summer, thus allowing these students to do other things with their final year. But is it a good idea to allow students to consolidate a full school year of English into a shorter online course?

As senior Joni Keaton pointed out, it really depends on the student. “Different educational routes work for different people,” she said, “and taking English over the summer is certainly a valid option.” It allows students who are ready for college and beyond to start the rest of their lives a year earlier.

Some students need to save up for college, and being allowed this extra time would make attending a two or four year university more financially feasible.

Other students feel they are ready for the next chapter in their lives, and wish to start their higher education as soon as possible.

However, even though opting out of senior year may allow some students to get a head start in the real world, it comes at

both academic and social costs.

Any senior year English course can be a challenging class, requiring students to apply all of the techniques they have learned throughout their eleven years in school.

Junior Jerry Wu addressed the difficulty of the course, noting that “English is a class that for some requires more classroom time than for others.”

If students who, while eligible to opt out of senior year, do not have English as a strong suit, it may be a detriment to them to not have the intimate classroom time students get in a full year of school.

And it isn’t just English.

“Removing the fourth year would force the general curriculum that follows the path we do to consolidate,” said senior John Corrigan. “Or it would cut content that really shouldn’t need to be cut in the first place.”

It’s not just academically that students may suffer by opting out of 12th grade.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

Students that skip senior year would miss out on graduating with their friends, senior prom, BOMS, and many other RM senior traditions.

“For some students, [missing out on senior social events] would be a disaster, for others it would be a relief,” said senior class president Michael Riederer.

In the end, it is up to the student to weigh the pros and cons and decide whether or not to make this decision.

County decision to scrap final exams is a controversial but beneficial call

by Tran Nguyen As students of one of the nation’s top schools, which has integrated programs like MYP, IB, and AP into its core, it is safe to say that everyone here knows what stress feels like.

It feels like thousands upon thousands of bricks, piling up upon your shoulders.

A unit test may be worth 50 bricks, whereas a homework assignment is merely a single brick. So imagine the stress that final exams bring upon students every year.

Not only does the two hour assessment test our knowledge of information we learned over a span of nine to ten months, but it counts for essentially 25% of our final grade.

Final exams ask too much of students, and take too heavy a toll. Thankfully, the members of MCPS’s Board of Education understand this stress, and worked with SMOB Eric Guerci to scrap final exams altogether. Their plan is a lot more practical.

Instead of one large final exam, teachers will be required to give in-class assessments throughout the school year. This includes unit tests, essays, projects, documentbased questions, and other, unmentioned assessments.

Interim superintendent Larry Bowers’ plan would also eliminate midterm exams by the 2016-2017 school year, whereas final exams have already been eliminated for the 2015-2016 school year.

For this reason, I stand with the Montgomery County Board of Education in their decision to dismiss the final exams

that plague students every June.

Many students agree with this decision.

Of course, most are biased in their opinions, as they would not want to endure the stress of final exams. However, sophomore Rosa Boehler, can see both sides to the situation. “[This decision] will not make a big difference, simply because teachers are still going to give tests anyways. [The tests] will just be more regular and they won’t be able to test for concepts that students learned at the beginning of the year,” said Boehler This can be seen as a good or bad thing.

It is true that students should remember these concepts, as that is why they are taught. “But [I understand] why many students don’t do well on the exams,” added Boehler.

The majority of students, with the exception of those who have already completed the required amount of credits, take exams for seven classes. It would be understandably difficult to remember course material from all 4 quarters, in all seven of their classes.

In reality, many students do not take exams in all seven of these classes, due to the varying class options. AP students in particular, are exempt from taking the final exam in June, should they take the AP test in May. This helps students in allocating study time for each of their subjects more efficiently. Why take two tests on the same material?

For Richard Montgomery in particular, this waiving of exam-structured finals applies to many students, as 76% of our students take at least one AP exam, which

GRAPHIC BY VALENCIA FU

ranks our school as the 6th best school in Maryland in terms of AP enrollment and passing.

In other schools however, most students fall into the group of people that may be burdened with 7 exams. In schools such as these, where academic proficiency is lower, students would struggle even more with final exams.

Freshman Isabel Barrera is also an advocate for this decision. Not having heard of this decision before, she immediately voiced her approval, and explained that “[many] students in each school dread taking final exams simply because they think they won’t do well.”

Barrera herself feels as if she ends up

getting so worried and flustered that she forgets everything she has learned and she is not the only one.

Students can get extremely flustered when attempting to review old material. It feels hopeless, and giving up seems like the best option.

This is what happens when final exams come around. Coursework from the past nine months get flung back at you, and papers from seven different classes are shoved into your binders. You feel suffocated by the workload, and simply don’t know where to start.

One hope is that this change will help close the achievement gap between different socioeconomic classes. Recalling a semester’s worth of information can be hard.

Adding that up with possibly not knowing the language that the questions are in, and not having the funds to pay for tutors at the end of the semester, may equal an unfair disadvantage for low-income and foreign-speaking students.

Moreover, any student may feel discouraged by the magnitude of final exams, and feel extremely pressured to perform well. A study done by the NIH correlated test results and the pressure on the student to perform well, by telling students the test was simply to test for knowledge, rather than an actual grade.

Since it would be unreasonable to completely eliminate all tests, quizzes, and exams, the board’s compromise is another option bound to help students achieve better grades, and learn how to expose the knowledge they learn in more practical ways, like projects and essays.

The Tide

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October 2015 9

10 The Tide

October 2015

INTERNATIONAL

Bilingual Club is all about family

by Ummara Khan and Jamie Gordy A walk down Main Street when entering RM’s building is enough to show any passing visitor the wide mixture of languages spoken among students. Foreign language classes are not the only place where one may hear chatter in Spanish or French.

The goal of the Bilingual Club of RM is to spread this international character.

Made up of a group of students who are eager to learn more about the culture of Latin America, many of whom are from Latin American backgrounds themselves, the club encourages its members to push themselves and grow as individuals by enrolling in the Bilingual Program.

The Bilingual Program is a certificate program for motivated students who take a language up to level seven.

Students in the program are expected to take AP or IB courses, perform fifteen hours of community service and maintain a GPA at or above 2.8.

While the requirements are strict, the members’ hard work pays off.

The Bilingual Club offers a variety of fun activities and adventures as part of its description. This year, members are planning to take a trip to New York City, where they will visit Radio City Music Hall to watch a Christmas show, and be

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

able to experience other famous landmark spots around the city. Destinations for other planned excursions range from Washington, D.C. to Costa Rica.

The club meets around once a month to plan its activities and events. The members watch movies, go to restaurants together, and share their stories.

“It’s like a family,” said Spanish teacher Martin Antonetti, who is the sponsor of the club.

The family sentiment is felt among many of the club’s members as well. “I joined this club because I love my culture, I’ll be honest. And, besides wanting to know about other cultures as well, this club is going to allow me to take my

sessions with the students and provide as much assistance as is necessary.

The Bilingual Club was created in hopes that students would strive to realize their potential, and in turn help others realize their own.

A Glimpse Into...

Syria

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Sponsor and Spanish teacher Nilma Martin Antonetti works to bring cultures together.

Spanish to another level,” said Christian It was designed to allow the Huaman, vice president of the club. students to look forward to more The Bilingual Club also provides than just learning a language. students with opportunities to learn “The biggest takeaway I want about the contributions of Hispanic students to leave with, is to appreciate people in history, art, music, and themselves and their cultures but also literature. These lessons are not only have an open mind when viewing other limited to Spanish-speaking countries cultures. I also want students to try and but aim to focus on the world as a whole. better themselves as much as possible The students in the club learn from and to never settle for mediocrity,” said the activities but also from each other. senior Julio Vasquez, president of the club.

Although most speak fluent Vasquez cited the welcoming Spanish, students still find differences atmosphere and encouraging sponsor in between the cultures and traditions as the feature of the club that really of their respective countries. attracted him when he first joined, and “There’s a lot of sharing for them a likely reason why other students may to realize we are just one. Even though have been motivated to do the same. we have one main language, we have “Our sponsor Ms. Antonetti is one of differences and that helps us also to learn the most kind hearted, honest, hardworking, about different cultures,” said Antonetti. and encouraging people I have ever meant, The club also provides free and as result she has instilled a tremendous tutoring services to any student in amount of positive qualities in me, and the school for any subject, not limited has taught me so many valuable things. to the foreign language department.

She is the main reason this Upon contacting a member club stays afloat and one of the of the club, the student in need of reasons I joined,” said Vasquez. help will be paired with a tutor.

The Bilingual Club promises to inspire The tutoring extends even to ESOL and educate those who seek to grow students who are struggling in a class. as both students and individuals, and Club members engage in one-on-one show them a good time along the way.

The Syrian civil war is one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time. Around 11 million civilians have been displaced and forced to start new lives in neighboring countries. This mass exodus has had a dire impact on these nations and calls for immediate international aid.

The origins of the crisis can be traced back to the Syrian government, as its violent tactics turned peaceful protestors into rebels. Oppressive ISIS militants also entered the country which further heightened the civil war and prompted many Syrians to leave.

The only ways for Syrians to escape is by boat or by crossing the border, both of which are extremely risky and expensive.

Thanks to extensive photographs and documentations of refugees on their journeys, we are able to find out more about their travels.

Organizations such as HONY (Humans of New York), have even recorded the unique stories of refugees, essentially putting a face to the crisis.

This crisis continues to plague the nation and many other countries around the world and cause the suffering of many citizens and refugees as they struggle to seek the safety of a new home.

-Jisue Gonzales

On finding a second home 7,000 miles from the first

by Eisha Fnu It has been more than a month since I have arrived to this wonderful country, and I have been able to enjoy every part of my stay by learning about American culture and sharing my cherished Pakistani culture. I am Eisha, a State Department sponsored exchange student from Pakistan, currently studying at RM. Pakistani culture is made of vibrant henna dresses, delectable spices, and much more. However, the cultural diversity of America never ceases to fascinate me and is probably my favorite thing about this country. The fact that you can interact with people from different parts of the world and experience different cultures at the same time is truly phenomenal.

In the U.S. I have had the opportunity to volunteer at a Turkish festival, in addition to attending a Pakistan festival and an event at the Pakistani embassy. I am doing my best to play an active role in the community and volunteer even more.

I have also been participating in

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Fnu enjoys the inviting community at RM and cherishes her remaining time in America. numerous fun activities. I went to “The have had such an international experience.

Beach” at the National Building Museum Addressing one of the most commonly and found out that the National Mall asked questions, I would like to share some has nothing to do with shopping at all. I of the differences between Pakistan and also celebrated Eid with Muslims from the U.S. Though we do not have many around the globe and got interviewed for differences, one thing that I noticed was television, which will be aired in Bahrain. I that in America, the food portions are

surprisingly big and so are many other things.

As for high school, teachers in Pakistan switch classes, so it is very odd to move to seven different classes during the day. In Pakistan, we also wear uniforms, so I have the difficult choice of choosing my clothes each morning here.

The importance of extracurricular activities and clubs is somewhat unique to America and is a major part of the high school culture. I appreciate this a lot and have joined many clubs that I will be active in this year.

As for sports, I have started learning about American football. It is a completely new experience for me and I still do not understand why it is called football if the players do not use their feet.

I also enjoyed spirit week because we do not have much school unity like this in Pakistan. Participating in “Black and Gold day” and so many other spirit days makes me feel part of a tight-knit community at RM. I will be very sad when I leave America, but as for now, I am enjoying my time with my friends and new school. So far, America has been beautiful and welcoming, and I hope to return in the future.

INTERNATIONAL

The Tide

October 2015

11

Summer 2015 revisited: student jetsetters go global

by Kevin Liu and Alex Yu The 2014-2015 school year let out on June 12th, and from that day for the next three months, the airport would be bustling with young adventurers taking advantage of their vacation to travel. The students of RM returned from summer break rested but well-traveled.

With the summer off from school, many of them used their time to travel the world.

Passports were stamped in nearly every continent, and stories collected from dozens of countries.

Junior Henri Maindidze spent six weeks in Australia, describing his trip as an unforgettable one.

“I was in a small town called Mackay, so I really got to experience Australian culture in its most natural form,” he said. “I got to see some of Australia’s unique wildlife there, like platypuses and kangaroos, as well as spend a lot of time with kids my age.”

For Maindidze, international travel resulted in a newfound understanding of how other parts of the world live. “It was really interesting to see the different system of values that they have there, and how they lead such relaxed and stress-free lifestyles,” he explained.

Maindidze noted that one of his biggest takeaways from the trip was how he was able to better understand the vast differences in education around the world, comparing Australian culture to his personal experiences.

“I attended a local school for 3 weeks,

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL DING

Ding greets and assists customers during his summer internship at the Bank of China. and got to see how the Australian educational system worked in comparison to here and to Zimbabwe where I was born,” Maindidze said.

Although rest and relaxation is the universal goal of summer vacation, some students took advantage of the time to participate in internships and jobs in other countries.

Senior Julian Watson trekked down to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, where some of his family resides. “I traveled down there to work for my aunt and uncle at their restaurant,” he said. “It was the first time I [have been there] where I was old enough

to really understand the lifestyle.”

While work was part of the bargain, Watson got a chance to immerse himself in the laid-back lifestyle of the island. “The community was pretty pushy on everyone joining a club or team during the summer, so I played in a coed softball league with my family that lives down there, which was really fun,” he said.

When asked what was different about life in St. Thomas, Watson responded, “The biggest difference to me [was] how it’s considered extremely disrespectful to not greet someone when walking by them, even if you don’t know them. I learned

how participating in different cultures not only sharpens your intelligence and understanding for others, but can be extremely fun.”

Senior Michael Ding also combined work and play this summer when he took the opportunity to work as an intern at the Bank of China while visiting family and grandparents in the country.

“It was definitely a new experience because the work environment in China is really different than that of America,” said Ding. He added that his time as an intern allowed him to get valuable experience working in the financial field.

“I am trying to pursue a major in finance next year for college, and I think that this was a valuable step in that direction,” he explained. “It was a really educational hands-on experience.”

A continent away from Ding’s destination, freshman Rithik Sebastian traveled to Spain over break. “I visited so many places in Spain that I can’t remember all the names,” he said.

But Sebastian was not the only RM student to visit Spain.

Senior Anisha Pancholi visited the cities of Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid in July, and experienced both the coastal beaches and the famous sites of Spain.

“I don’t usually enjoy sight-seeing, but visiting places like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was definitely an experience I’ll remember,” Pancholi said. “I’ve done a fair share of international travel, but Spain had a unique charm and I got to see more sides of a country than I usually do. Even though I don’t really speak the language I really feel like I got a true taste of the culture.”

A glimpse into the diversity of the class of 2019

by Angela Sun and Emily Tian The diversity of RM is an aspect of the school that Rockets take great pride in.

To explore the cultures and backgrounds of our newest incoming class, The Tide asked three freshmen to discuss their thoughts and insights on what it is like to come from international homes.

Sydney Sun

Q: What culture did you grow up in?

A: I grew up moving back and forth from China and America but I spent most of my elementary school years in China.

Q: When did you move here?

A: I moved here in summer 2013, but like I said, I moved back and forth before.

people and I’m making friends.

Q: What sort of things do you enjoy doing in your free time?

A: I like drawing/ painting. I play volleyball and watch YouTube.

I play piano occasionally. I like to swim, but not competitively.

Q: How do you still connect to your culture now?

A: I visit China.

I read Chinese books. I celebrate holidays like Chinese New Year, and the midautumn festival. And I talk to my friends in China online.

that very interesting.

Q: What countries have you lived in so far?

A: I was born in Nicaragua but then moved to the U.S, then I moved to India and then to Armenia. From there I went to El Salvador and then Peru, then I went to Panama and after that I moved back here.

Q: When did you move back here and how are you liking it so far?

A: I moved here on July 1. I like it but the school’s huge. My other school only had 50 kids per grade and only had 11 grades, and the school was only three years old.

It’s also weird speaking another language.

It’s a whole other culture--everything is different, clothes, music, even texting is different. Like I can’t tell you how different texting in Spanish is.

Q: Is it hard to live in so many countries? A: Well I moved a lot more frequently when I was younger, so it wasn’t that bad. It got really hard once I left Peru, like I had just hit that age when all I really did was hangout with my friends. It is hard having to move, but I mean it really depends. People everywhere are going to be different but if I were to go from Panama to Nicaragua the change would be there, it just wouldn’t be quite as drastic as it is moving here. The

Q: You identify as Cameroonian. Were you born there?

A: Actually, I was born in DC, but both my parents are from Cameroon and I’ve been to Cameroon a couple of times. I actually just went this summer, because most of my family is there. My family is from the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon. Cameroon has many different tribes and they value different things. My great grandpa was once king of the tribe, and he helped Cameroon get its independence.

Q: Have you lived in Cameroon or any other countries? What has your schooling been like?

A: No, I’ve actually never lived in Cameroon, but I have lived in Thailand for two years, where I went to the International School of Bangkok. I also lived in Malaysia for four years (my dad works for the World Bank) where I went to the International School of Kuala Lumpur.

Q: What languages do you speak at home? Do you speak Thai and Malay?

A: In Thailand, we were taught Thai at school, but I was pretty young so all I can say is a few phrases and count to 10. One of the national languages of Malaysia is English, so I didn’t really learn Malay.

Erica Baranick

Q: What language do you speak at home?

A: I speak Chinese and English at home.

Q: How was your transition from China to America? What’s different about school or other things?

A: I had a bit of difficulty in English class at first but I quickly caught up. The schedules work differently because in China, the students stay in the classroom and the teachers go in to teach. You have the same schedule as the people in your class.

Q: How are you liking RM and 9th grade so far?

A: So far so good. It’s a little stressful sometimes but there are a lot of interesting

cultures are different but have the same base.

Q: What sort of things are you interested in at school?

A: I’m on the JV volleyball team so that’s definitely something I’m into. I participated in Model UN at my other school, so I’m really looking forward to signing up for the next conference because the most recent one interfered with volleyball. And I like government: I never learned about how any of the countries I’ve lived in were run, so I find

I also speak French, which I speak at home with my parents. I’m also taking Chinese in school right now.

Q: Would you say the school systems are very different?

A: Well I went to international schools in both countries, and those schools follow the American system, so they are actually very similar to what I have here. The public schools start the school year at a different time though, and the curriculum is also different.

Q: Now that you live in the US, in what ways do you feel that your family’s culture differs from the one here?

Maureen Zeufack

A: Well we have a lot of African art in our home. We are also part of a group where Cameroonian families in the DC area get together and have picnics and parties. In our home we have some superstitions, like don’t cross your legs in front of elders, don’t step over someone’s legs, or they won’t grow. My parents also tell me Cameroonian folk tales.

The new class of 2019, with its diverse and enthusiastic members, holds great potential for being one of the most dynamic classes yet. As they grow and continue through their high school experience, their mix of backgrounds may prove to be an even greater advantage than it is now.

All photos courtesy of interviewees

12

October 2015

The Tide

Library

Through the heavy glass doors of the Rockville Library, a ceiling of stars overlooks the winding where students lounge to study and socialize.

First things first: mooch off of the free wifi (the signal’s better on the first floor) and start charging go? The study rooms on the second floor are the most popular (but also sometimes hard to get). Eve before use, they are often available for you and your friends to chatter to your heart’s content - war If you actually want to get work done, the better bet might be the first floor’s teen corner wh required quietness will keep you focused. Been studying for a while and need a break? Head out for check out Vie de France for French pastries and hot chocolate!) or indulge your inner child with the Near midterm time, be sure to reserve your favorite spot as the number of students increases exp studying before heading off to ace their exams. Grab some warm Starbucks and lounge with your fr exam cramming.

With its wide range of both popular and obscure books, soothing ambiance, and comfy chairs, students to study, learn, and chill.

bonchon The hidden gem of RTC, BonChon is a Korean and American fusion restaurant tucked away just past Noodles & Company. They’re famous for their double fried chicken with a twist: Koreaninspired soy garlic or spicy sauce. Watch out: their perfectly crisp but still tender meat comes at a price, both literally (bring $15 minimum to be safe) and timewise (at least 30 minutes after ordering).

This makes BonChon a bit impractical for lunch, but if you stay after school, treat yourself! (Word of advice: try to eat there as the takeout containers make the outer breading turn into complete mush.)

If you love fresh food (Let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), make sure to stop by Mr. Banh Mi and grab yourself a bánh mì—a Vietnamese baguette typically stuffed with meat and pickled vegetables. The meats at this restaurant are all very tender, and the vegetables make a crisp snap when you bite into them. All the ingredients are clean and fresh, and there’s a wide variety of drinks from milk tea to iced coffee. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays, so don’t be too disappointed when you’re greeted by locked doors upon arrival.

For only $5.00, you get a heaping tray full of Indian food. All menu options are very rich, aromatic, and filled with various spices. The basmati rice is light and thin, and it contrasts wonderfully with the heavy curries. The meat and sauces practically melt in your mouth.

Beware: the food is very filling, so unless you intend on sharing with a friend or two, don’t stuff your face right before gym.

This cozy and affordable sushi house sits nestled amongst a series of small restaurants a little down Rockville Pike.

On days when you’re craving a light meal, stroll over and pick up the 12-piece lunch special of any sushi you like.

The varieties are endless; there are soups, noodles, and bento boxes to choose from, along with exquisite Japanese desserts. With the efficient service, take your time to enjoy your meal but don’t forget to get to class on time!

old kimura

Mr. Banh Mi OM fine indian cuisine

Take the fi chicken is es There are ton drink that su definitely rec Jumbo Jumbo around $15.0

g steps to endless shelves of books and tables

g your quickly-draining smartphone. Where to en though the sign require students to reserve rning: the rooms aren’t quite soundproof! here surprisingly comfortable chairs and the r a quick snack (if you haven’t done so already, e vibrant couches and toys in the kid’s corner. ponentially, all trying to fit in some last minute riends on the couches before returning to your

, the Rockville library is a great place for our

October 2015

13

Articles by: Proma Rahman, Tesia Shi, David Zhang, Stuti Ganatra, Shelby Stevens, Maki Ishibashi, Laura Chang GRAPHICS BY VALENCIA FU

Richard Montgomery is truly a school like no other, with each school year filled to the brim with events of all calibers to fit every type of student.

For those interested in the performing arts, we have our Drama club, the Black Maskers, a dedicated community of nearly 250 students, who devote hours and hours of their time every day to ensure their productions are great. According to senior set construction chief Paxon Yu, “Black Maskers is a very open, social community filled with colorful people.”

Events for the musically minded include the beloved Coffeehouses, which are small musical performances in an intimate atmosphere by our very own students, and RM Idol, a large singing competition featuring our own student stars. With talented performers and teacher judges, it is an event looked forward to by both the staff and students. Coffeehouse and RM Idol are both are hosted by our award-winning literary magazine Fines Lines.

For the students looking to get physical, Powderpuff football in the fall and Mr. RM in the spring are two long-loved and long-standing traditions. Powderpuff switches up the usual format, making girls the football players and boys the cheerleaders. The same happens with Mr. RM, a “beauty” pageant for the seniors wherein the guys have friendly competitions to see who most embodies the student population. Both are friendly and light-hearted events, and are always well attended.

Equally hilarious and entertaining is the BOMS squad, the true highlight of the pep rallies.

Senior guys go through weeks of training under the dedicated leadership of POMS members to perfect dance routines and show off their collective grace. Senior Ninad Nirgudkar, a member of BOMS, commented, “It’s like a brotherhood. It feels great to follow in the footsteps of some of RM’s greatest. Our captain is amazing, the atmosphere is amazing.”

All in all, RM has plenty to offer so be sure to get involved!

a

five minute trek to Jumbo Jumbo for delicious Taiwanese food! The Taiwanese fried specially popular; it has crispy batter on the outside and flavorful meat on the inside. ns of bubble tea and smoothie flavors to choose from, so everyone can find a refreshing uits their palate. “It’s a really good value meal. You get a lot of food for a low price. I commend the popcorn chicken,” Junior Heavenly Zheng said. If you decide to head to o, get there fast—the line is very long, and it takes a while to prepare the food. Bring 00 if you plan on getting a main dish and a drink.

la limeña

Located in the corner of Ritchie Center, just five minutes away from RM, La Limeña is the perfect place for a quick lunch out with friends. Order the quarter Peruvian chicken, dark or white meat, with a side dish of rice and beans or fries for a taste of the most popular takeout meal there!

Freshman Zoë Berry said, “I’ve only been there once, but I really liked it and plan to go again.” All in all, it only takes about 5-10 minutes for them to prepare the meal; you would be out of there and back to the school in no time!

jumbo jumbo

14

The Tide

LA MAREA

Octubre del 2015

El sexismo futbolístico reprimiendo las mujeres por Sara Garcia-Beech Eduardo Galeano, un escritor uruguayo, una vez dijo que “el fútbol es la única religión que no tiene ateos.”

La comparación del fútbol a la religión es bastante apropiada en Latinoamérica, cuya región es famosa por la manía que tiene por el fútbol. Desde que se introdujo el deporte, se ha hecho más y más popular, e incluso en 1969 hubo una guerra entre El Salvador y Honduras causada, en parte, por un partido de fútbol. Este amor y obsesión, sin embargo, tiene un límite: el fútbol femenino.

Mientras que los equipos latinos suelen jugar muy bien en las copas mundiales de los equipos masculinos, en esta última copa mundial femenina, los equipos latinos apenas avanzaron. Brasil, que fue el huésped de la última copa masculina, perdió en la primera ronda.

“Me parece interesante que al nivel mundial, son los equipos europeos y estadounidenses los que dominan el mundo del fútbol femenino, pero para los equipos masculinos, son definitivamente los equipos latinoamericanos los que dominan,” dijo Vanessa Martínez-Penn, estudiante de duodécimo grado y miembro del equipo de fútbol femenino de Richard Montgomery.

“Creo que se trata del machismo,”

sigue ella, “y que en Latinoamérica, el profesional siguen encontrándose con fútbol es visto como algo de los hombres. problemas. Son pagadas mucho menos Y creo que es diferente acá, en los Estados que los hombres, y hasta algunas, como Unidos, porque los equipos femeninos Yusmery Ascanio, jugadora venezolana, son mucho más p r o m o c i o n a d o s , tienen que buscar otro trabajo encima de especialmente jugar. Los equipos para partidos niñas pequeñas, femeninos cosa que no reciben agradezco t a n t a mucho.” publicidad El problema o nace de las cobertura percepciones como los culturales de una de los mujer futbolista. hombres, y Las actitudes suelen ser machistas han jugados empezado a bajo condidisminuir, c i o n e s visto con las peores. En tres mujeres esta última presidentes c o p a actuales de femenina, FOTO POR TAYLOR BALFOUR Latinoamérica, n o Los logros y las habilidades de las muejeres fútbolistas pero parece que en tuvieron son ignorados por el público general latinoamericano. el mundo del fútbol más opción estas actitudes persisten. Las niñas tienen que jugar en el césped artificial, cosa que muchas menos oportunidades a jugar en sería impensable para la copa masculina. entornos profesionales que los niños, y El sexismo futbolístico no es un cuando sí juegan, son sometidas a mucho problema solo de los países latinos. El más criticismo basado en su género. Hasta presidente de la FIFA, Sepp Blatter, un 1979, hubo una ley en Brasil prohibiendo hombre suizo, sugiero que para ganar más que las mujeres jueguen al fútbol. espectadores, los uniformes femeninos Las mujeres que pueden llegar al nivel deben ser más ajustados. El equipo

femenino estadounidense, que es pagado mucho más que otros equipos, todavía sólo fue premiado $2 millones por haber ganado la Copa Mundial, mientras que el equipo masculino ganó $8 millones por perder en el primer partido.

Todo esto tiene aún menos sentido cuando miras al hecho que en los Estados Unidos, esta última copa mundial femenina fue vista por más que 20 millones de espectadores, más que la final de la NBA. No es que a la gente no le interesa el fútbol femenino, pero que grupos como la FIFA creen que no les interesa al publico. Esa aserción es claramente falsa comparada a estas estadísticas, pero la percepción que a nadie le gusta el fútbol femenino sigue.

Este tipo de discriminación es un problema con muchas facetas. Los países latinos deben gastar tanta energía en promocionar los torneos femeninos como los masculinos. También tiene que haber un cambio de actitud en toda la población; la gente no debería burlarse de las niñas que quieren jugar.

Los colegios y el estado deben trabajar para gastar lo mismo en equipos comunitarios de hombres y mujeres. Las organizaciones futbolísticas como la FIFA tienen que trabajar para tratar los torneos masculinos y femeninos con igualdad.

Latinoamérica adora el fútbol. Y tal vez con un poco de trabajo, también podrá amar el fútbol femenino tanto como el masculino.

Celebrando los logros La vida multicultural: Hispanos en los EE.UU una experiencia única por Noemi Garayo

El Mes de la Herencia Hispana es reconocido con gran importancia en los Estados Unidos. Con el paso de los años, los hispanos han logrado dejar una huella tan grande sobre el país, que la misma idea de un Estados Unidos sin hispanos es inimaginable. En 2009, el Presidente Barack Obama dijo, “la historia de los hispanos en Estados Unidos es la historia de los Estados Unidos propiamente” El Mes de la Herencia Hispana se celebra cada año entre el 15 de septiembre y el 15 de octubre con el propósito de rendir tributo a las contribuciones de los hispanos hacia el avance de la cultura estadounidense. Los hispanos han desempeñado una función vital en los sucesos y los movimientos que han moldeado este país. Ellos han enriquecido la cultura americana y aportado creatividad e innovación en gran variedad de aspectos.

GRÁFICO POR KERN LEE

El impacto hispano a moldeado el país.

Hoy día, los hispanos son el grupo étnico más grande en los EE.UU de acuerdo al libro, La Presencia Hispana en Norteamérica. Este libro muestra cómo la población hispana crece cuatro veces más rápidamente que la de cualquier otra minoría étnica o racial. De acuerdo al Censo del 2013, hay alrededor de 54 millones de hispanos viviendo en los Estados Unidos. No es extraño entonces

que una población tan grande como esta juegue un papel importante en la cultura y historia de este país.

La literatura hispanoamericana también tiene un gran impacto en los Estados Unidos. Libros como La Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada y Cien Años De Soledad de Gabriel García Márquez son muchas veces incluidos en currículos educativos estadounidenses. Es más, La Biblioteca De Babel, una historia corta escrita por Jorge Luis Borges, es parte del currículum en las clases de inglés IB del onceavo grado.

La influencia hispana también se hace presente en el mundo cinematográfico de Hollywood a través de éxitos como Selena, La Máscara del Zorro, y Spanglish. Directores latinos como Alfonso Cuarón y Alejandro González Iñárritu, ambos ganadores de Oscars por sus películas Gravity y Birdman respectivamente, también influyen Hollywood con su trabajo detrás de la cámara.

El legado hispano en el ámbito de la música es de suma importancia. Según la revista Billboard, entre los latinos más influyentes del mundo musical se encuentran Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Santana, y Selena. Todos estos artistas fueron piezas clave en la introducción de la música latina en la cultura estadounidense.

Hay también muchas figuras importantes hispanas en la política. Hombres como Marc Rubio, congresista y aspirante presidencial por el partido republicano, y Bob Menéndez, senador demócrata siendo unos de ellos. Mujeres como Sonia Sotomayor, quien hizo historia tras ser elegida como la primera mujer latina a la Corte Suprema de justicia, también contribuyen de gran manera a la fuerza política latina.

Pero quizás la influencia más importante del hispano en los Estados Unidos se lleva a cabo por el hispano común, día a día.

Aunque los hispanos de gran trayectoria son reconocidos durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, es importante no olvidar celebrar el hispano que día a día se esfuerza para conseguir sus metas, sacar adelante a sus queridos y hacer prevalecer toda una herencia.

por Daniela Moreira “Yo siento que estoy entre dos culturas.

Pero, la gente no lo reconoce,” dijo la estudiante del onceavo grado, Charlotte Beckford, sobre su propia identidad.

Beckford, de padre argentino y madre estadounidense, es parte de esa porción de la población en los EE.UU. que a veces no es tomada en cuenta por el resto de la población. Según el censo de los Estados Unidos del 2010, la población multirracial o multiétnica en los Estados Unidos ha ascendido a 4.2 millones.

FOTO POR JESSICA JI

De izquierda a derecha, Charlotte Beckford y Xochi Cartland. No incluida en la foto, estudiante Vanessa Martinez-Penn.

Las experiencias de adolescentes multiculturales en los EE.UU varían de un caso a otro, historias singulares y únicas.

El lugar de crianza, el idioma y la cultura dominante en el hogar, y la apariencia física son las razones por las cuales estas historias son únicas. Cada adolescente multicultural tiene su propia historia.

Este es el caso de muchos estudiantes en Richard Montgomery, que tratan de crear conciencia sobre su intrínseca diversidad.

“Mi familia que es caucásica no me consideran caucásica y mi familia hispana no me consideran hispana,” clama la estudiante de onceavo grado, Xochi Cartland, de descendencia mexico-

americana. Ella explica que nadie le da la libertad de poder escoger con cuál grupo étnico y cultural ella se identifica más.

Cartland asegura que muchas veces ambos lados de su familia esperan que ella actúe, hable y piense como ellos.

Los adolescentes multiculturales son juzgados por su color de piel y no la mezcla de culturas de las cuales están formados como personas. Según Beckford, esa fue la razón por la que fue enviada a terapia cuando ella tenía 5 años, ya que hablaba inglés con un acento español. Sus maestros la juzgaban por tener un acento; creyeron que ella tenía un problema mental ya que “no parecía latina,” y no debería hablar español.

Según los estudiantes multiculturales, demostrar sus verdaderas raíces es difícil cuando a diario en la escuela se convive en un ambiente donde predomina la cultura estadounidense. La estudiante de duodécimo grado, Vanessa Martinez Penn, de descendencia salvadoreña y estadounidense dice que “en la escuela, no soy latina, y en la casa, si lo soy. La conexión a la cultura Latina no me viene de manera natural ya que no comparto tiempo con muchos latinos en la escuela.”

Ella quisiera demostrar sus dos culturas a la misma vez pero su comportamiento depende del ambiente que la rodea.

En opinión de algunas estudiantes, la falta de conexión entre los grupos étnicos y culturales a los cuales pertenecen puede acarrear problemas familiares. En el caso de Beckford y Cartland, sus padres se divorciaron y la oportunidad de una tener una cultura mixta desapareció. A ambas les encantaría viajar a Argentina y México respectivamente para aprender de sus familias latinas y mantener unos sólidos lazos de unión con la cultura hispana. ¿Que es la herencia cultural? Para estas estudiantes multiculturales de RM, herencia significa respeto y agradecimiento a las tradiciones de su cultura. Ellas no pueden separar una cultura de la otra ya que eso hace que sus experiencias sean mucho más especiales. Penn concluye,“Me siento orgullosa de ser miembro de dos culturas.

Yo puedo participar en actividades que pertenecen a ambos mundos.”

The Tide

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October 2015 15

16

The Tide

ARTS

October 2015

Perspicacity: the poignant observations of Mrs. Stanton

by Sydney Sun and Maria Vicente Recently, AP/IB art teacher Katherine Stanton displayed her dedication to art in her own gallery exhibition at Glen Echo.

The show, titled ‘Perspicacity,’ took place on September 19 and 20, and featured close to 50 of her pieces.

The theme of the art show, perspicacity, meant “being a little more observant and perceptive of things in a way. I really take in the ideas of my surroundings and the conceptual underpinning of what I see and what draws me to it,” Mrs. Stanton said.

Throughout the show, Mrs. Stanton emphasized that being an artist is about communicating through expressing one’s inner self. She elaborated, “It’s a form of expression; being an artist, you’re always expressing yourself and I wanted people to be able to look, and ponder, and think, and to take in their own meaning but to also maybe see some of my meaning as well.

To Mrs. Stanton, the artist should be a guide for others, to let them become exposed to her expression but also to help them formulate their own ideas and perspectives.

One of the paintings featured in her show was inspired by a scene she noticed on 17th street in DC after the Richard Montgomery graduation last year. She observed two doorways next to each other, and the concept of one door leading out and another leading in intrigued her.

This scene was manifested in one of her paintings, in which the doors symbolized two different stories, one ending and another beginning, in the same place.

Many of Mrs. Stanton’s works are inspired by her observations, but she adds in deeper thoughts and implications of importance behind those views.

The artworks featured in the show were

from different times in Mrs. Stanton’s life.

Her favorite pieces are her newer works because they are reminders of how she has grown as an artist.

Stanton mentioned, “What was interesting is that one part is kind of

Stanton in her art journey. Ever since a young age she knew she was attracted to art, and she remembered, “My mom couldn’t take me away from a coloring book, it was something intimate.” But it was her high school art teacher Walt

PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. STANTON

Mrs. Stanton paints a scene of apartment buildings located in Rockville Town Center like coming back to my old roots. It was Bartman who really inspired Mrs. Stanton interesting to see that some of my colors to go into an art career, and becoming an had changed so many times and then art teacher herself to inspire other people.

She was also influenced by a number come back.” It was also interesting for her to reflect on how her pieces have changed of artists. “Artist that inspire me are like John Asaro—he paints beautiful painterly since becoming a mother and a teacher.

This reminded her of Picasso and the beach scenes, Lucian Freud, who does thick different periods he went through as an paintings, and Anselm Kiefer, another artist, such as his blue period and how artist who does real textural things.” Mrs. people’s lives undergo cycles. This can be Stanton explained.

These artists have influenced Stanton to seen in Mrs. Stanton’s art.

Many people have influenced Mrs. include thick, rich paint and texture, with

the expression of the actual media she uses in her work.

In her show, Mrs. Stanton also wanted more people to be exposed to the life of a working artist who has to face the difficult task of balancing two careers at once. Besides teaching art at Richard Montgomery High School, Mrs. Stanton is also a teacher at the Yellow Barn Art Gallery at Glen Echo Park, a sponsor of the National Arts Honor Society at Richard Montgomery, a mother, and a painter.

With so much on her plate, it is hard to balance and prioritize activities. However, Mrs. Stanton finds ways to keep everything going, and enjoy her own art.

For example, she has worked out a schedule with her husband so that every Thursday, she gets to paint.

As much as she enjoys making art, she relishes teaching it, too. Mrs. Stanton said, “Teaching is fun as well, and it’s teaching people to have that same inspiration and creativity in art, and that’s cool.” While she enjoys teaching, she also feels very accomplished after working on her art.

In her classes, Mrs. Stanton inspires her students to create their own artistic styles.

Senior Cassie Ulvick, who attended Mrs. Stanton’s show, stated, ”It was so cool getting to see Mrs. Stanton’s works after being her student for two years, especially since I’m so used to her looking at my pieces and projects instead of the other way around.”

While Ulvick has seen unfinished pieces around the art classroom, she added that “It was awesome seeing them up and beautifully displayed in her show.”

Mrs. Stanton has aided her students through the artistic process and helped them host their own AP and IB art shows in the past.

As a passionate artist and teacher, she guides her students to become artists of their own and serves as a figurehead like her teachers did in her own career.

Lee displays versatility in artistic form and expression

by Magali Ngouabou Lines, contrast, shape, and value are all principles and elements of design we have heard about at one point or another.

These elements come together to form aesthetically pleasing art, especially when employed by a masterful artist like senior Jessica Lee.

PHOTO BY JESSICA LEE

This painting is titled “See No Evil.”

Lee’s remarkable propensity for assembling lines, colors and tones into striking pieces has landed her work in multiple exhibits, such as the Montpelier Community Center, and earned her many prestigious Scholastic Art awards.

Lee draws inspiration from many sources. As she recounted, “I read Animal Farm back in middle school and even then I had an idea that stuck with me for a couple of years. It showed up in

a few of my paintings not go undetected in her art. unintentionally.” One of Lee’s work often obliges the the paintings influenced by audience to see into the artist this team was “Gentleman” herself. As Mrs. Stanton said, featuring the head of a pig “She expresses her inner contrasted on the body of a thoughts and that makes the suit-clad man. viewer stop and look.”

The talented senior has Despite all her also drawn inspiration accomplishments and from other artists, and awards, Lee said, “I really mentioned, “There’s this find a lot of pride and one artist named Guy pleasure in finishing a Denning, who I really painting because I’m the admire. He just has a really type of person who has a lot loose, interpretive style of ideas but I can never finish that really works with them!”

PHOTO BY JESSICA LEE charcoal, so I’ve also been A self-portrait painting by Lee. Even with all her talent, working off inspiration and after over five years from him.” of consciously striving towards quality For Lee, making art is more about art, Lee admitted she still encounters exploration and process than a fixed idea. struggles in the craft. But Lee does not “I’ll just look for inspiration and use that, let these negative thoughts stop her from so I do have a goal and idea but by the time developing her artistry. She explained, “I I’m done it’s nothing I expect,” look back at what I’ve done before and said Lee. see how much I’ve improved. That’s Lee is not only open with when I have to keep pushing myself her art in expression but and keep on creating work.” is also versatile in artistic This ability for self-reflection form. Although she usually further demonstrates Lee’s works with acrylic, recently character and in turn is a testament she has been experimenting to her ability as an artist. more with other mediums.

Lee said, “[My art is] For example, lately she unique in that it has been interested in represents a lot of working with ink what I think about, and different kinds myself, and what’s of pens and brush in my mind. It’s a pens. representation of The openmyself.” minded and Her open fluid nature of approach to her thought art is once more process does expressed as PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

she reveals the true source of her originality, as she puts herself into the work and not a specific technique or palette.

To all currently struggling stick-figure drawers, Lee encouraged aspiring artists of all levels to “just keep on making art.

Everyone knows this but practice does make perfect and you’ll be amazed. Just keep on drawing and drawing, carry around a sketchbook.”

The senior further explained that

PHOTO BY JESSICA LEE

Alleys come to life through her strokes. by keeping persistence and consistency, “you’ll look back in a few years and see how much progress you’ve made. Not only through art but within yourself, your thoughts and determining what you think is beautiful or not beautiful.” Lee wanted others to follow their own concept of art, and advised, “Don’t let other people tell you what art is.”

The Tide

ARTS

October 2015

17

Short films capture the spirit and gift of student filmmakers

by Stella Ho and Albert Zhang

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a film, with 24 frames a second, communicates millions of words per minute.

People of all ages and races across the country express themselves through film, and the DC short film festival, which closed September 20, provided an opportunity for filmmakers from across the nation to share their unique messages through the medium of motion pictures.

Though undoubtedly smaller and more localized, Richard Montgomery mirrors DC as a hotspot of artistic and cultural activity. The school boasts a large number of incredibly talented, aspiring student filmmakers who create professional productions out of the love and passion they have for the medium. Just one of these individuals is sophomore Simon Gershunskiy.

Gershunskiy is involved with many film projects; he has helped produce a short film at American University, as well as cowritten and directed the cinematography of an indie film. In addition, he takes on editing jobs for various films and video projects.

“Film,” he said, “is the best means of storytelling. It attracts all the senses of a viewer.” Music can evoke joy, wistfulness, motivation, other complex emotions. Likewise, photographs, paintings, and “still” art can accurately capture moments of desperation, ecstasy, or even lassitude. Yet it is the skillful and fluid combination of these elements in film that communicates a powerful message quickly and leaves a lasting impact on the viewer.

Requiring such a multitude of different

ble art forms. Students have the freedom to discover their own styles, as well as identify role models and inspirations for their personal projects.

For Gershunskiy, directors Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson have been his greatest influences. “All these directors,” he said, “are professionals at their own style and they’re the ones that make me think about my own.” This influence is reflected in the high quality of RM student productions. According to Mr. Flake, successful student-produced short films “look like they could be an early student film from a well known director.”

Experiencing the arduous process of creating one’s own film also boosts the appreciation for the films of others. With PHOTO BY MONA LEE greater knowledge of the complexity inA very demanding process, filming is more than just pressing “record” on a camera. volved in filmmaking, individuals view other works in a new light, considering talents, each film production sees compos- gether to make something like a symphohow a production was made and how it ers, writers, sound editors, cinematogra- ny. Every aspect of the film is an instruachieved its impact. phers, and even costume artists collaborat- ment, and the composition is incomplete At its heart, filmmaking is a medium ing to create one final product. Junior Cam without any single part. This is where the of expression, whether its purAaron, who is currently producing a film real film starts to appear.”

In IB Film classes here, pose is to express the dire urgency of her own, said, “There are soundtracks, of climate change, the loquaciousand scripts and sets. To me, film is a blend students learn how to orness of Donald Trump, or of almost all other art forms, and therefore chestrate such symphonies. the horrors of slavery. These it allows a lot of different artists to collabo- According to IB Film teacher Dustin Flake, the students movies can be viewed by bilrate on the same piece.” lions of people of all differArranging all of the equally crucial ar- create “narrative films ent origins at the click of a tistic components to create a polished and as well as documentabutton. meaningful production is one of the most ries and experimental Films, for the short time daunting aspects of filmmaking. The pro- films.” He elaborated, they last on screen, connect hucess of creating a unique story and translat- “The technology we mans in a way that writing, pictures, ing it to the big screen involves more than have in our hands is or music alone arguably cannot. It just picking up a camera and pressing “re- so advanced that stuGRAPHIC BY KERN LEE is this timeless ability of a film to cord.” Yet this innate complexity is what dents can really use most humanize, connect, and above all, tell a makes the medium so intricately powerful. of the techniques Hollywood is using story, that will remain a constant amidst Gershunskiy said, “It’s almost as though without the million dollar budgets.”

With such a wide plethora of resourcthe rapidly shifting times of today’s modthe things I previously envisioned—shots, ern world. music, dialogue—everything is working to- es, filmmaking is one of the most accessi-

Philanthropy through art Logic exceeds expectations

PHOTO BY KAITLYN WANG

The art club’s founders from left to right: Delia Chen, Sophie Wan, and Helen Zhao. and interest in children, also influenced Zhao in creating this club. Zhao has not only revived the principles of generosity and service associated with the previous Celebrated American novelist Kurt club, but also added some creative new Vonnegut once said, “Practicing an art, no spins to broaden the new club’s value. For matter how well or badly, is a way to make example, unlike its predecessor, Artists your soul grow.” The new club Artists With with Heart expands beyond painting and Heart makes this idea a reality by giving drawing to incorporate music in their lesunderprivileged children the opportunity sons as well. to make art projects, express themselves, “Art is a huge part of creativity and it’s and display their creativity. really different from school, so it’s fun,” Artists with Heart meets on the junior Helen Zhao said. “But it’s also very first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. therapeutic.” Known to alleviate stress and at a church in Gaithersburg. Volunanxiety, art represents an emoteers work with children ages 3 to tional and spiritual outlet for 12 from The Dwelling Place, an children that has the potential organization dedicated to supto greatly improve their health porting homeless families. and spur the development of The officers of the club—Helsignificant life skills, such as conen Zhao, Sophie Wan, Maddie Liu, centration and perseverance.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE and Delia Chen—were inspired In the future, the club is planto create the club by art’s huge impact on ning on contacting the Housing Opportutheir own lives. nities Commission to see if there are any Experiencing firsthand the healing other groups who might be interested power of art, the leaders hoped to inspire in being a part of such a program. Other a similar passion in children who have not ambitious plans include hosting fundraishad such an introduction to artistic expres- ers to raise money for new materials and sion. “I thought it’d be really great if we Christmas presents for the kids. could do something for kids who don’t With its admirable aims of giving chilnecessarily get this exposure,” junior Helen dren invaluable opportunities for self-exZhao said. pression, growth, and therapy, Artists with The former club Color a Heart, which Heart strives to make a long lasting impact also aimed to spark artistic appreciation on our community.

by Rachel Li and Elena Yeatts-Lonske

tive. In a series of tweets, he revealed that his fans listened to the album ‘Unby Kevin Ming Pan der Pressure’ from Thomas’s perspective, when he was on his way to pick up Kai. Although hip hop artist Logic released As many fans can recall, a computer his debut album ‘Under Pressure’ a little program voice was heard throughout the over a year ago, it appears that he is already debut album explaining how it was all put preparing for the release of his sophomore together. This computer program, as we album. The once Gaithersburg High School now know, is the voice of the the ship’s student, now a world famous rapper, took onboard computer talking to Thomas. to Twitter early September to announce the Now equipped with a greater underalbum’s title, ‘The Incredible True Story.’ standing of Logic’s artistic and stylistic Judging from already released informa- choices, listeners can more fully appretion about the project, it appears that it will ciate the genius of the artist’s second albe a concept album; this means that all the bum. tracks will contribute to one central theme.

The first single from the second album In this case, the album focuses on the was released September 22. Titled story of a man named Thomas in “Young Jesus,” the track featured the year 2115 who is searching for Big Lenbo, another Gaithersburg a planet called “Paradise.” Thomnative music producer. The two as is accompanied by a partner do not disappoint. named Kai. Together, the two set From the very beginning, it out into the universe, armed with is clear that the quality of Logic’s the purpose of finding mankind a music has only risen. The track’s new home. familiar, smooth, and fast-paced The synopsis goes on to explain flow kicks in, immediately achow right before the mission, companied by a simple, Thomas had “just listened yet catchy drum pattern. to a certain musician’s Not to be outdone, Big first album.” This is none Lenbo matches Logother than Logic’s debut ic perfectly, using album, ‘Under Preshis deep voice to sure.’ Logic creatively provide a contrast to bridges his two works toLogic’s breathier tones. gether by having Thomas play Although only one track Logic’s second album as the duo has been released so far, ‘The GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE departs on their journey.

Incredible True Story’ has the Logic demonstrates his attention to de- potential to become a classic. tail and the artistic intricacy of his album In a Twitter Q&A session, Logic stated with the additional release of the album that there will be a sci-fi motion picture cover. In the front center, Logic is depicted to accompany it but the album itself will at the controls of the spaceship that pre- be an “audio cinema similar to old time sumably belongs to Thomas. Beside him sit radio shows.”

Thomas and Kai. Citing inspiration from legendary diAlso pictured in the center is Bobby rectors such as Nolan and Tarantino, LogCampbell and 6ix, two well known produc- ic went on to further explain the album ers that have worked with Logic before. In was created to break free of the expectatotal, the cover features 10 people gathered tions set by other musicians and producaround the front of the spaceship, having ers of the same genre. all contributed to the album or story in As of now, ‘The Incredible True Story’ some way. is scheduled to be released in November At the end of September, Logic pub- on Friday the 13th, meaning fans only lished an in-depth explanation of his first have to wait a few more weeks to hear the album’s intended message and perspec- full story of Thomas.

18

The Tide

FEATURES

October 2015

Royal court shines on the road to Homecoming

field. “My favorite memory from the experience is my dad’s face when I told him he was going to be my escort...there was this mixture of like tiredness and annoyance but also genuine happiness on his face -- it was hilarious,” Alilio remarked.

While you might think that the other court members would be jealous of the king and queen, this could not be further from the truth. “Mfundo and Kimmie are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met”, said senior Mitchell Dawson. They really deserved [to be crowned king and queen]”.

Many of the the court members mentioned how good it felt to be respected by their peers. As senior Maddie Schuck put it, “The most exciting part has been to know from your student body that they respect you in that way. At least for me, I would have never thought that I would have been picked, and it was a huge surprise.” See the photo spread below.

by Hannah Greco and Hallie Kay RM’s leading ladies and gentlemen partied for one unforgettable weekend.

Once elected to Homecoming Court by their classmates, these twenty seniors were escorted by family and friends onto the football field before the homecoming game, where they were introduced to the crowd.

“It was unbelievable seeing the amount of people that showed up for the court despite the harsh weather,” remarked senior Leo Simon. The palpable excitement was echoed by senior Nicole McNamara.

“Being introduced in front of the whole school was like five seconds of fame”, she said.

Many of the seniors chose family members as escorts, such as senior Anders Alilio, whose dad escorted him onto the

THE GENTS

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

2015 Homecoming Court strikes silly poses as they celebrate their weekend of fame.

THE LADIES

HOMECOMING KING

HOMECOMING QUEEN

MFUNDO KAENDERA

KIMBERLY STAMETS

ANDERS ALILIO

“I only wear cargo pants and flip flops.”

JACK BLITZ

“Thank you based god.” - Lil B based god

“Hail to the king.”

“Ball is life.”

COLLEEN ADAMS

“Just laugh. The rest will follow.

Thank you based god.”

“Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”

MITZY CARVAJAL

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETOUCH

Kimberly Stamets and Mfundo Kaendera

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETOUCH

Angela Kim, Luis Orellana, Devon Goetz

SOPHIE EL-MASRY

“My greatest fear about going to college is finding a new place to get my eyebrows done.”

MITCHELL DAWSON “I put the ‘Win’ in Windian.”

KATELAND FERRAZ “I love drops.”

ZACK KHAN

“I hate it when I’m on a flight and I wake up with a water bottle next to me like oh great now I gotta be responsible for this water bottle.” - Zack Khanye

DEVON GOETZ

“If all else fails, marry rich. Even if all else doesn’t fail, still marry rich.”

LUIS ORELLANA

“If a man does not have sauce, he is lost. The same man can be lost in the sauce.” - Gucci Mane

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETOUCH

A crowd of students surrounds Kaendera and Stamets as they dance as king and queen.

ANGELA KIM

“Sometimes I bring my blankie to school.”

JONATHAN ORTEGA “Work hard in silence, let success make the noise.”

NICOLE MCNAMARA “Where’s Clare?”

LEO SIMON

LILY SAHAKIAN

“I eat all my meals on the football field.”

“I’m not hungry enough for six slices of pizza, so cut me four.“

MADELINE SCHUCK

JULIAN WATSON

“I’m only here so I don’t get fined.”

“Pearl man Jones?“

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETOUCH

Ferraz and Khan pause for a photo op.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFETOUCH

Maddie Schuck and Julian Watson enter.

FEATURES

The Tide

October 2015

19

Football’s secret weapon Witches: then and now

by Fatmata Barrie and Semret Hailie A Friday night home game. Floodlights illuminate the turf, and music blasts from the stadium speakers before kickoff. From the stands, we applaud and cheer football players, athletes who have practiced hard day after day to beat our rival schools.

But with every winning team comes a hardworking group of people that supports the team behind the scenes.

Scott Sindair, a sophomore, is a student assistant on the football team. “During the first half of the practice I usually help out with the equipment, and wherever else I can. During the games, I work with the equipment, film, and supporting the team on the sidelines.”

This is not Sindair’s first time being a student assistant. He recently moved to Maryland from Los Angeles, California.

“I was the student assistant for six weeks before I moved here, but I was considered the water boy,” said Sindair.

The term “water boy” does not give student assistants the respect they deserve.

Given Sindair’s responsibilities and his place in the Rocket football family, in no

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Sindair smiles during a football practice.

way is his job less important than that of an actual football player.

“It seems like all the coaches and players respect me, and I respect them too,” Sindair reflected. “Everyone is really nice to me, and they all ask questions about my personal life. It makes me really want to talk to them ands get to know them more, too.”

The team has taken Scotty in with open arms. Being new to a school can be difficult, especially when you do not know anyone.

Joining the team made Scotty’s transition to a new school easier. “I met a ton of people right away, and I even sit with the football players at lunch,” said Sindair.

Initially, Scotty was reluctant to take his first position as student assistant. His P.E. teacher, who was also one of the football coaches, first gave him the idea. “At first I was very nervous about joining the team because I had never been a part of a team before. I had no idea what I would be doing and how I would be doing it,” said Sindair.

“My first intention was to decline the offer, but after talking to my parents a little bit, I realized it was a great idea to at least try. Now, it’s great.” By taking a chance with this opportunity, Sindair has enhanced his managing and filming skills.

On his first day of filming, Sindair recalled: “Coach Klotz told me everything I have to do with the camera, but I was sure I would be a disaster. That I wouldn’t be able to film much, or I wouldn’t be able to film well.”

Practice certainly must make perfect, because now Scotty is knowledgeable and confident about filming. “I really enjoy filming. I had never really filmed anything before, but after the first day I realized it was my thing, and I became really good at it.” Sindair has also realized that a positive attitude does not just help players win games - it also helps him to best help his teammates during practices.

Scotty has also been eagerly anticipating future games, and could not help but mention the Rockets’ winning streak. “I am very glad and grateful that they are undefeated right now; let’s hope we can keep that up,” said Sindair. “We all want to enjoy the feeling of winning for as long as we can.”

What many students do not know is that witchcraft has evolved into a modernby Charlotte Hirsch day religion.

According to a survey performed by Covenant of the Goddess The one day of the year when children in 2000, around 768,400 Americans are with pointy hats and broomsticks may be self-proclaimed modern witches. In other found roaming the streets of Rockville is words, they identify with the religion almost here: Halloween. Although many of Pagans or Wiccans. Modern witches view this night as a free opportunity to eat worship many deities, perform rituals and piles of candy, others are fascinated by the spells, and believe in herbal medicines. creepy aura that Halloween is associated Students’ responses to this information with. Kids join their friends to trick-or-treat varied greatly. “I think that they are saying and show off their terrifying costumes. But that for attention, because in the real world one of the most commercialized Halloween there is no such thing as magic or spells. symbols has also been a real part of our Another reason could be they are just very society since ancient times: witches. ugly,” said freshman Jacob Logsdon.

When high-school students think Sophomore Yohanna Daniel reacted of witches, their minds often jump quite differently. “They have a right to movies such as “Harry Potter” to choose whatever religion to follow, and the “The Wizard of Oz.” whether it’s witchcraft or Christianity “Witches make me think of or Judaism or whatever.

I knew green skin, warts, pointy hats, someone whose mom used to be and broomsticks. Also Hermione into Wicca. He became a Satanist Granger,” remarked junior and then converted Madeleine Liu. This to Christianity. cartoonish image of Now he’s one of GR AP a witch seems to be common my church’s youth HI CB among students. “I think of Y pastors,” she said.

SY DN old women flying on brooms,” said Although students have EY SU junior Neil Duggal. Sophomore Cindy varying views on modern N Song agreed, and said, “Witches generally witchcraft, most everyone agrees fly on broomsticks and cast evil spells on that witches add to the spookiness of people! Like the wicked witch of the west Halloween night. As Duggal said, “It in Wizard of Oz.” helps set the scary atmosphere because Ironically, modern media has lightened witches are weird old hags, and nothing the idea of witchcraft, while its true is scarier than a hag except for clowns.” history is far more dark and mysterious. Many students agree with Duggal that As many students know, the Salem witches are perceived as spooky and Witch Trials painted a darker portrayal of magical creatures that fit perfectly with the witches. In colonial Massachusetts, several ominous Halloween vibes. girls claimed to have violent fits caused Sophomore Arielle Etedgi added, “I by possessed witches in their village. think that witches make Halloween more The Puritan community accused their of a tradition in a way...now people make neighbors of witchcraft, and executed 17 anything into a Halloween costume but women and men who were supposedly witches were the beginning of it all.” working for the devil. Sophomore Irene From the history of the Salem Witch Park remarked, “These trials were pretty trials to the green-faced and cackling creepy considering all these innocent characters portrayed today on television people were killed for being weird. They and in movies, witches certainly boost the would’ve killed me!” creepiness of Halloween.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

Ladies with Character promotes female excellence

by Ananya Krishnan and Michelle Ling If you walk into room 234 at lunch on a Tuesday, you will find laughter, discussion, and a whole lot of fun. The Ladies with Character club, which meets weekly, is an exciting, student-centered organization for girls that focuses on character building, leadership skills, and community service.

In this club, students are given the opportunity to engage in discussions about various relevant issues, share concerns and thoughts on school and personal life, and participate in many fun activities that also provide service to the community.

Special Education teacher and club sponsor Teresa Boyd is a very engaging and warm leader, who gets all the members to participate in meaningful conversation.

Their weekly topics of discussion range from the harms of cyberbullying, the stress and pressure that comes with getting good grades, and how excessive cell phone use can affect academic performance. To Ms. Boyd, “Ladies with Character is a student -centered organization for girls that works on character ability and leadership skills, and service to the community and to

“Leading this club means seeing people becoming prouductive and successul young adults.”

- Ms. Boyd

themselves if possible.”

The club was originally called “Sisters Helping Sisters,” but this name mainly attracted African American girls, so Ms. Boyd decided to change the name to Ladies With Character. She wanted to attract a wide variety of girls, and make this club a welcoming place for all different groups.

After all, her mission statement for the club is “The wonder of teaching is watching caterpillars turn into butterflies: we’re all on this journey of life, and leading this club means seeing people becoming productive and successful young adults. It’s taking where they are and helping them move forward.”

Ms. Boyd believes that this club should help all girls strive for academic success, be able to learn leadership and communication skills, and support one another. Her mission seems to be paying off. The members talk about a strong sense of family within the club, and how it is a place that students can open up about issues that they cannot talk about with anyone else. One member, sophomore Gabriella Sanjur, said, “I felt like there was a bond between everyone, and it was a warm atmosphere. There was lots of people that I could connect with. The conversations we have can get to a deeper level, and they can be funny and interesting…we really explore the thought.”

Even though there are certain topics the club focuses on, such as schoolwide success, cell phone addiction, and significant people in our lives, there are no restrictions regarding what is discussed and open discussions are encouraged. “If you ever have a time that you want to talk to somebody, or be able to relate to other girls, have a little girl conversation,” Ms.

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

Ladies with Character club members intently listen to each other’s thoughts and ideas.

Boyd explained. attend meetings for teenage girls at the As for the service aspect, Ms. Boyd Rockville Community Center, especially believes that doing service for the classes on leadership skills. In addition, community would help bring a positive they also sold pens as a fundraiser for 9/11 outlook to our school and our communities, victims which was very successful. and that it is important to help others The club is currently gearing up to without expecting something in return participate in a “rake and run,” and they because it helps to instill good qualities in are also planning to help pick up trash students. To her, service is special because around the community and plant trees. you do these activities from the goodness of Ms. Boyd believes this club would your heart, which impacts’ teens emotional be perfect for every girl, and she thinks health and character. She believes that participating in these meetings would there is not enough focus on emotional benefit them by not only giving them a safe health, and most students are constantly place to discuss their thoughts, but also stressing about academics. helping “build up the girls to be productive That is why the club participates in citizens in society.” many community service events, where So if you have a problem you need to there are opportunities to earn SSL hours get off of your chest, want to help give back while giving back. In the past, they to the community, or just want to have a participated in Black History Month and good time, then the Ladies with Character made thank you cards. They frequently club is definitely a great choice for you.

20 The Tide

FEATURES

October 2015

Acapella groups grow in presence and popularity

by Zoe Berry and Irene Park

Accent, Testostertones, Resonance, Lonely Hearts… Chances are, you have probably only heard of one or two of RM’s aca-mazing acapella groups. But what they lack in publicity, these five unique Acapella groups make up in quality. From pop to barbershop classics to oldies, you can find it all in these four groups.

RM’s oldest running Acapella group is Accent. “We mostly do pop songs, although we generally throw in a holiday song for the winter concert,” said senior and Accent leader Leslie Schneider. Similar groups have been sweeping high school and college campuses today, thanks to the popularity of the acapella movie, Pitch Perfect.

Schneider has been a part of Accent since her freshman year. Rather than joining an all-female group like the Barden Bellas from Pitch Perfect, she chose to join Accent, where she could find a unique blend of voices.

“At the time, it was the only co-ed Acapella group, and I thought I would like the sound of having girl and guy voices better,” said Schneider.

In addition to many top-100 songs, Accent expands its spectrum by occasionally throwing in a seasonal song or two. “We perform at all of the choral concerts and sometimes at special events, like IB Open House or at the Rockville Mansion Christmas Concert with RM’s Madrigals,” Schneider explained.

Interestingly enough, the other Acapella groups acknowledge that Accent is, in, fact, the most well-known.

“Accent is really cool; Accent has been the longest-running Acapella group in RM, so they’re really solid and well-reputed,” said Resonance co-leader Eileen Moudou.

Senior Will Green, Testostertones co-leader, also chimed in and took note of Accent’s

growing popularity.

Before, Accent had only been able to show off its musical ability as a group at choral concerts throughout the school year, but this year, Accent leaders, Muye Wang and Schenider are setting a new tradition.

“We plan to compete this year for the first time,” reports Wang. “We’re itching to show off our talent to other schools, but we’re also super nervous because it’s our first step competitively into the acapella world.”

spotlight, T-Tones is hard at work behind the scenes, beginning with auditions. As daunting as they may sound, auditions are actually quite informal. In fact, you have probably already been practicing for this for years--a large part of it involves singing “Happy Birthday” in acapella. Just “make sure you start and end on the right notes so that you stay on key,” Green warns.

On a completely different note, Resonance is Richard Montgomery’s only all-female Acapella group. With absolutely

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

Accent acappella members rehearse diligently for their fall choral concert on Oct. 22.

The Testostertones is yet another Acapella group at RM, fondly referred to as “T-Tones” by its members. As the name suggests, T-Tones is filled with a number of teenage boys that make up the school’s only all-male Acapella group. “We perform covers in four-part harmony to a bunch of pop songs or slow songs or old songs,” said Green.

Their expansive repertoire is featured at each of the four or five choral concerts held every year, performing during transitions between choral songs. “Sometimes we also perform in coffeehouse, if we have a new song premiered by then,” Green added.

In addition to their success in the

no male voices, the sound of Resonance is very different from the other groups, whether co-ed or all-male. “Because we’re all-female, our arrangements of pieces are soprano-soprano and alto-alto, so we have a really unique range of sounds and way our voices work together,” said senior Eileen Moudou.

Resonance mainly focuses on pop music, but will sometimes throw in some alternative or hip-hop, maybe even rock.

“Whatever we feel like arranging, because we arrange all our music ourselves,” Moudou said, stressing the independence and closeness of the Resonance family.

In fact, the two Resonance co-leaders,

Moudou and senior Eszter Janossy, referred to themselves as “the same person” while sharing a hug.

Moudou labels Resonance’s performance at county executive Ike Leggett’s inauguration last year as her most memorable experience.

“We were the only ones from RM,” Moudou recalled. “There was a group from UMD, and they were really good, but we were also really good, so we compared, [...] and it was really fun. And we met Ike Leggett, so that was cool.”

Last but not least, Richard Montgomery’s fourth acapella group keys in on the musical era of the 50s to 80s. Led by senior Judah Canizares, the Lonely Hearts Club Band performs Acapella covers of artists ranging from the Beatles to Queen, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, and more.

According to Canizares, he joined Lonely Hearts in his freshman year mainly because he wanted to write his story himself. “Back when my brother was in high school, the legacy he left was his leadership of T-Tones,” he said. “Me, I wanted to leave something else behind and I wanted to be part of something else.”

Like the other three groups, Lonely Hearts performs at choral concerts and various nursing homes, elementary schools, and other events outside of school.

What sets them apart, however, is their focus. “We’re not simply an all-male or allfemale, or just a co-ed group,” Canizares said. “We take on a specific repertoire that sets us apart--one that spices up the music program and keeps the classics alive.”

Five years ago, if someone had asked about the Acapella groups at Richard Montgomery, most people would not have had anything to say. But recently, Acapella’s growing popularity in the media has affected high schools and colleges all throughout the nation, including RM. If you have not checked out any of these groups yet, be sure to watch out for their wonderful performances this year.

Kreske recounts adventures teaching in Thailand

by Grace Sun

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to travel to a foreign country and live there for several years? To embrace an entirely new culture? IB biology teacher Damian Kreske has done just that. In 2013, he left to live in Thailand for two years with his wife, and has just come back to teach this school year.

“My wife and I always talked about going to live abroad and experience another culture and be immersed in it, so we finally got the courage to do it,” said Kreske. While in Thailand, Kreske continued teaching IB Biology as part of a Thai school’s International Baccalaureate program.

Kreske also explored all of Thailand and Southeast Asia. “To go to these places that were hundreds and hundreds of years

“I don’t miss sweating every day, for sure, but the beauty, it’s just a beautiful country just to be in.” old, things that are just ancient compared to anything we have in the United States...I think that was just the thrill,” claimed Kreske. Picture yourself being able to see the remains of great civilizations in Cambodia or being able to shop at the famous floating markets near Bangkok.

Despite going on such an exciting trip, being away from home for two years still had its drawbacks. “While we were there...I couldn’t get all the foods I wanted to get, so I was a little homesick for that,” stated Kreske humorously. While in the U.S. we have diverse choices of American, Asian, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine (and more!), Kreske could only easily reach restaurants with Mexican food that reminded him of home.

Moreover, Kreske missed his companions and activities he used to do with his family. “I missed some friends.

And places I used to visit...my wife and I usually road trip a lot...we drive, we camp and so I missed doing that,” said Kreske. In fact, soon after he arrived home, he and his wife drove to Minnesota and back.

Fortunately, two years was enough for Kreske to adapt to the Thai culture. Now that he is back in the U.S., he just cannot get used to the bright advertisements and immense number of products in supermarkets. “I’m not totally adjusted yet.

When I go into Target, I get overwhelmed by it, because they don’t have that many stores that size in Thailand,” declared Kreske.

The culture in Thailand follows the motto “mai pen rai” which means “do not worry”or “it is no big deal.” Each day is filled with a calm and relaxed atmosphere.

“I miss...just a really ‘got no problems, got no worries’ kind of attitude,” said Kreske.

Derived from the ancient Siamese culture, the people of Thailand value respect for elders, serene disposition, and refinement. As a result, they minimize conflict and anger by resolving disputes with smiles and not blaming anyone for wrong deeds.

Thailand is also a country of beautiful nature and bustling crowds. It is an ideal place to visit and explore. “I don’t miss

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAMIAN KRESKE

Mr. Kreske hung out with a variety of animals in Thailand, including baby elephants. sweating every day, for sure, but the beauty, it’s just a beautiful country just to be in,” said Kreske with awe.

Kreske learned a lot about Thailand while on his trip, but he also extracted an important lesson about living in foreign countries in general. “Things don’t have to work the way they do in America to have a country function...things can work in a whole different system, and it’s still going to get an end result, it’ll still be a functional society,” expressed Kreske. “[Kreske] once mentioned that in Thailand he’d get all kinds of lab equipment to work with in his classes and its not the same here,” said junior Stuti Ganatra,

one of Kreske’s current students. Even with a different education system, Thai students still learn just like we do. Kreske emphasized that opening your mind to diverse cultures and society is an important way of learning.

If there was one piece of information Kreske would like the students of Richard Montgomery to know from his trip, it would be that traveling is incredible.“I think everybody should get exposure to travel whether it’s domestic or international...I think it makes you more open to ideas...and I think that’s important for people going forward and growing up in the world we have now,” stated Kreske.

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October 2015

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The Tide

SPORTS

October 2015

RM football to build on best record since 2002

FOOTBALL, cont. from page 1 everyone to be their best and they have shown great leadership throughout the season so far,” sophomore Spencer Silverstein, starting quarterback for varsity, said.

Another senior that has stepped up is Jhordan Greene. Fellow senior Leo Simon said, “I think Jhordan Greene ... has stepped up mentally. As running back, he had all but one 100 plus yard [rushing] games, he’s third in the county with rushing yards. On defense, he is killing the game on D-line.”

Younger players are also showing what they have and what they can bring to the table this year and in the future, players such as junior Tylen Hebron. According to Coach Josh Klotz, “We have great seniors and great senior leadership, but especially as a junior, Ty coming in on his first year on varsity made several game-changing plays.”

Despite the spectacular start to the season, the team still believes there is room for improvement. Coach Klotz explained, “Every day at practice, at film sessions, at night, players and coaches have to get

better each and every day through players taking care of their bodies and being coachable and improve on a regular basis.”

The Rockets owed the overwhelming victory against longtime rival Rockville High School to an unflinching winning mentality. Silverstein explained, “We knew that they were our toughest opponent this year and we just went in, played our game, played our best and hoped to win.”

Senior Leo agreed, saying “Of course we addressed it as another game, but of course the intensity was a lot greater. Everyone knew what week it was, and people were addressing their name as “School by the Woods.”

Coach Klotz summed it up, explaining, “It was the battle for the city of Rockville and our players wanted to go in there and turn it into our house and reclaim the city.”

The intense sentiments from the Rockville game spilled over into the game against Wootton High School, resulting in arguably the most exciting and gutwrenching game this season. From the start of the game, the defense looked very strong and like they were to take no prisoners.

New Coach Alie Brooks

by Katie Spencer and Giulia Testa This year, Richard Montgomery is welcoming RM alumna Alie Brooks to the coaching staff to instruct the varsity field hockey team. Brooks was the star captain of the team until her graduation in 2010.

Afterwards, she attended East Carolina University, where she joined the club team.

Before spearheading this year’s season, Brooks coached Youth Field Hockey for Koa Sports based in Kensington, Maryland.

Coach Brooks recalled her own Richard Montgomery years on the field hockey team as an “amazing experience” that she hopes to pass on to the team today.

Not only does Coach Brooks want a good team on the field, but a team that supports each other outside of the game. “Not only does the team gather, socialize and bond around food, but it is the main item in our long running tradition of “buddy gifts” that are given before each game as a good luck token,” she elaborated. This creates a very welcoming and positive environment for the team that Brooks believes is necessary to the girls’ camaraderie and success.

Both teams appreciate the effort Brooks makes to ensure that everyone is involved and participating.

“Coach Brooks is young, so she connects with us more as players, and she’s really relatable,” sophomore Sierra Longest expressed.

Sophomore Ryan Westpfahl agreed, adding, “She graduated in Rockville too, so she understands our needs as students.”

Senior Devon Goetz also agrees, saying “She really has our best interests at heart and wants to see us succeed.”

Coach Brooks’ experience as a player at Richard Montgomery enforced many strong principles that she incorporates into her coaching today. “The most important values I learned being on the team were sportsmanship, building and maintaining relationships, Rocket pride, and working hard. These are the values that I coach with now and I’m hoping my players are able to extend these values into other aspects of their lives,” Brooks explained.

“She’ll never yell or shout to punish us or to get our attention, but she has this kind of quiet control,” continued Goetz.

“Coach Brooks is always very supportive.

She encourages us to push ourselves past our limits to new levels of play. The team finally feels like a family, with everyone constantly working to help each other on

PHOTO BY DAISY GRANT

Coach Alie Brooks before the BCC match. and off the field,” senior Nicole Cunningham explained. “I think her best characteristic is her dedication,” adds Senior Devon Goetz, “She’ll do whatever it is we need most and she’s always pushing us to new limits.”

When it comes to motivation, the girls are ready to supply. “My team is motivated by the game itself,” explains Brooks. “They love to play, they love to watch, and they love to analyze.”

Coach Brooks also stresses her availability and dedication to her team. “I remind each player to be working towards their personal goal, because each player is different. Throughout the season, I have talked to each girl about something separate that they should be working on.”

Coach Alie Brooks is optimistic about her first year with the Rockets. She and the team have their eyes set on a winning season, and even better - a trip to county or state finals! As Cunningham put it, “We’re playing our hearts out, and that’s something no number can ever replace.”

With this bubbling enthusiasm, nothing is out of reach for the team this fall. Brooks exclaims, “I have never seen so much love for the sport, and it makes me so excited!”

On the other side of the ball, the offense looked strong as well with quarterback Spencer Silverstein rushing on the first drive for a huge gain and pumping up the crowd in the process. Later, as the crowd was losing a bit of energy, captain and wide receiver, Daniel Alexander made an incredible one-handed touchdown grab similar to that of NFL superstar Odell Beckham Jr. As the game neared its end, the crowd was on the edge of their seats with RM losing by only a touchdown. Towards the end of the game, with Wootton backed up against their end zone, was ready to punt. Captain Michael Silver made a clutch play and blocked the punt, which led RM to a touchdown to take back the lead, ultimately giving the team an undefeated record of 4-0.

Football made the best of their homecoming match against WJ to extend their winning streak to 5 games.

Tremendous defensive pressure coupled with a strong running game led to a 43-6 victory.

A lot of this continued success is due

to the great leadership and play by the seniors. The roles of the seniors are helping the team gain and maintain the leads that they are keeping.

They are seemingly taking charge and providing key leadership when it is most needed. But most of all, this group of seniors are really going out there and playing every game like it is their last, while making the RM community excited for what is yet to come.

However, there are many up-andcoming players on the football team that are simply destined to be leaders and great players. For example, advice from Coach Klotz for these younger players are, “To just keep learning from the older guys and see how they do things and what they’ve done to be successful.”

All of this greatness can’t be achieved without the support from RM’s student crowd, “Hell’s Kitchen.” They get students and the team pumped before, during and after the game like no one else can. With the amazing student crowd and the incredible team, this can possibly be the season to remember in RM’s long football history.

Tennis keeps D1 status

by Orrin Ni On September 24, Claude Grady, a tennis coach at Montgomery Tennisplex, predicted that with hard work and diligent practice, the Richard Montgomery girls tennis team could work their way into Division 1. A couple weeks later into the year, and the RM girls tennis team has already made that prediction come true. “I’m extremely happy [with] our performance so far, and especially [with] the leadership of our senior players,” remarked Coach John Fahrner.

“In high school tennis, there are three divisions based on skill; Division 1 being the best schools and Division 3 being the bottom tier,” explained Coach Grady.

However, just as the Rockets exemplified, teams can move between divisions based on how well they do.

In the BCC game, seven separate matches occurred between the two school with the overall score ending up being 5-2 in favor of RM. The girls dominated in the sets as well as the overall score, with the fourth singles player, freshman Piper Feldman, winning 6-0 over her opponent.

After a well deserved celebration, the team decided to reflect on their improvement from last year, and their prospects in the future. “We are better and stronger now, schools like Churchill and Wootton are worsening, unlike us,” junior Varsha Ramachandran mused. “We are as strong as ever, and this is going to be our year.”

Many players agree with this sentiment, and believe that the team can only improve. However, nobody is happier or more confident than Coach Fahrner.

“I’m confident in our chances this year,” he emphasized, adding, “We’ve already achieved our big goal, and that’s good.”

Behind the glory of a big win hides the sweat and hard work that got the team there. The team did not achieve this monumental victory by doing nothing; they worked hard every single day. “At the beginning of every practice we jog two laps around the courts,” explained freshman Shefei Jiang.

“After we are physically warmed up, we rally with each other until our strokes are warmed up and then we proceed to playing practice sets,” Jiang continued. This does not even include the conditioning they do at home and the practice they put in with their private coaches and at their clubs.

Getting into the top division requires no mean amount of work.

However, merely looking at the physical side of their training is like looking at one side of a coin. “On the team we’re all friends, and we encourage each other,” said Feldman. As many of the players expressed, training together develops an unique bond that can’t be formed anywhere else.

From a player’s perspective, tennis is not an individual sport at all, but a combined effort of the whole team in every match.

“When I play,” commented Jiang,“I always feel my teammates’ support.” Through the relationships forged in practice, the players draw the strength from each other that helps them pull through, for the victory.

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

The girls tennis team rallies at practice before their matches against Clarksburg HS.

The Tide

SPORTS

October 2015

Hydration: a key part of any athlete’s success

by Julia Kochman Sweat drips down your face as you persevere to beat the opponent in the final lap around the track. Everything begins to blur, and you begin to feel dizzy. You are dehydrated.

Dehydration gets the best of most athletes at some time in their career, but it is an easily preventable condition.

According to Athletic Trainer Tori Simonetti, dehydration is when “You lose or use more fluids than you take in.”

When there is less water content in the body than it needs to function, GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE or a drought within the body, water is pulled from places less vital to survival.

Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, author of the health information book Water Cures, explains that the “most essential cells in the body maintain hydration at the cost of damage to the less important cells.”

Water is incredibly crucial to survival.

Water keeps your body’s tissues moist and regulates body temperature, according to Jen Laskey of Everyday Health. It acts as a cushion for joints and protects the spinal cord.

Adequate water consumption aids digestion and helps your body remove waste through perspiration and urination.

Proper hydration is especially important

for athletes, who are hard on their joints and whose body temperature can increase during exercise.

Everyone knows drinking water throughout the day is important, but according to a recent study, nearly seventy five percent of people throughout the United States do not consume enough water, and have been at risk of having chronic dehydration.

W i t h i n R i c h a r d Montgomery a l o n e dehydration is a factor that takes many athletes out of their beloved sport.

Simonetti explained: “ D u r i n g preseason, a ridiculous amount of people come in with symptoms of dehydration. Usually, as the season goes on and the weather gets colder, I see less cases. That being said, I had about 4 athletes with muscle cramping caused by dehydration on Friday night’s football game.”

Because dehydration is just an umbrella term, there is a wide spectrum of severity.

At first, dehydration is not that dangerous.

Symptoms can include minor fatigue, darkened color urine, muscle cramping, irritability, dry skin and mouth, and thirst.

“All the energy feels like it has been sucked out of you by a vacuum, I did not even feel well enough to finish the game,” freshman Jacob Lodgeston remembered.

“I do not think I would have even felt well

enough to just walk around the block.”

As dehydration increases, so do the symptoms. Low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, and sunken eyes are described as extreme symptoms by Simonetti. According to the Mayo Clinic, delirium and unconsciousness can occur in some extreme cases.

Sophomore cross country runner Nefret El-Masry detailed her most memorable experience with dehydration: “During a meet last year, it was really hot that day and the course did not have much shade. I started off the race fine but after two miles things began to appear to be blurry and I got a massive headache. The last 300 meters of the race I got super dizzy and everything began to bounce up and down.”

She persevered and beat out the majority of her opposition but the effects were harsh. El-Masry remembered, “I finished and could not stand up straight. I actually fell on one of the ladies who [was] recording the times.”

Athletes and non-athletes alike are more prone to dehydration in warmer and more humid weather. “When the temperatures are higher, water becomes increasingly important,” Simonetti explained.

During the warmer months, our bodies perspire more than in cooler months like November and December, and when we sweat more, our bodies lose even more fluids. Because of this, summer pre-season is the most dangerous part of the year in regards to hydration.

Hydrating throughout the day is a big aspect to staying healthy and performing at your best. Senior cross country captain Mac Morgan detailed his hydration plan, explaining, “I am that guy that carries around a big jug of water around school.”

Drinking a substantial amount of water on game day can help, but Assistant Athletic Director and ex-field hockey coach Martin Espinosa always has his players start to hydrate at least forty-eight hours

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before game time. “This gives the fluids enough time to kick in,” he elaborated.

Athletes also have to consider the amount of water they need to drink, which varies depending upon a few key factors, including physical condition, age, frequency of exercise, and diet.

Not only is dehydration unhealthy, it also impacts performance. Morgan knows this from personal experience, recalling, “I was not able to perform at my best, I simply had no energy.” El-Masry added, “I could not get to my full speed especially towards the end.”

On the other side of the spectrum, while rare, overhydration can also get the best of some athletes. “I was so worried about getting dehydrated,” former Bethesda Chevy Chase student and soccer player Saga Melander recalled. “I must have drank, give or take, a few gallons of water the day of my first varsity game.

During the game I began to feel nauseous

“All the energy feels like it has been sucked out of you by a vacuum. ” -Jacob Lodgeston and got a massive headache. I had to be pulled out of the game.”

As dehydration impacts the vast majority of athletes and students alike, the importance of staying hydrated is increasingly important. Do not wait too long to drink something, Simonetti explains, “If you’re thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated.”

Boys and girls soccer bounce back from slow start

by Chris Ryu

The RM boys varsity soccer team, with their morale at its highest, confidently walked through the gates of Northwood home soccer stadium on the evening of September 24. The team was on a three game winning streak and they were hungry for another win.

The boys took to the field aggressively and shook the opponent’s net in the first 30 seconds with a goal by senior midfielder Jake Lee. In the remainder of the match, they controlled the game and pushed their attack, creating several chances and ultimately scoring an additional five goals. As a result of their confidence and teamwork, they topped Northwood with the final score of 6-2.

Despite a rocky start to the season, losing to both Wootton and Rockville, the boys team is striving to improve.

The common refrain at practice being “sacrifice,” on the part that each player has to contribute to the development of a stronger team.

The results of this mentality have been showing — the boys have defeated several teams in their conference, Maryland South 4A. The first win of the season came against Kennedy, followed by a victory at Northwood, and finally a win against BCC in an especially thrilling 2-1 finish.

Lee landed a late goal after which the Rockets defended doggedly for the remaining thirteen minutes to secure the win. Lee has quickly adopted his goalscoring position after transitioning from a defensive role to various positions in the midfield.

The Rockets also clinched a victory in both games of the Rocket Shootout, sweeping the tournament hosted at RM. Both games were comeback victories which made the tournament even more exciting for the players and audience.

Despite the recent success, one of the team’s key players, senior Will Diaz, was injured in the game against St. John’s.

“We started the season off slow but we picked up our heads and we are turning this season around,” sophomore Sergio Escobar said.

“We are starting to work extra hard at practice, especially because one of our key players [Diaz] is out for the next few games due to an ankle injury,” Sergio said.

Head Coach Edgar Lopez responded, “He will be missed by everyone... but I don’t think [the injury] will impact the team at all because all players on the team are very talented. I know that the team will step up in Wilfredo’s absence.”

The girls varsity team has been just

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Seniors Noah Ventimiglia and Bryan Ruiz work together to pass around BCC’s defense. as successful. Their season started slowly after a hard loss to Wootton in the last ten minutes. Despite this start, the team went on to beat Rockville 3-1, and crushed both Kennedy and Northwood 11-0.

In the Rocket Shootout, the girls put up a valiant effort, leaving with a 1-0 loss against St. John’s and a 0-0 draw versus Holy Cross.

“We’ve played some great teams, we’ve also played some teams that are on-level, and we have made sure to get things done,” head coach Monica Tarzy said, commenting on their season so far.

The games against Northwood and Kennedy were enormous wins, giving the girls a confidence boost for the games that followed, especially in the difficult matches against “W” schools such as Whitman, Walter Johnson, and Winston Churchill.

“We have made sure to get things done. ” -Coach Monica Tarzy

PHOTO BY MADDIE FRANKE

Senior captain Trish Swim takes a goal kick.

Tarzy explained, “The game [against Northwood] went really well… They overcame a lot for themselves, they worked to the ball very well with each other and played well together.”

Going into games with confidence is an important skill that the girls are working on mastering.

The girls suffered a tough loss 8-1 against Walter Johnson due to a lapse in self-confidence. As junior Sonia Postolache put it, “In the game against WJ, our heads went down after the first two goals, and when we went back on after the half, we played with that mentality, which was our downfall.”

The team turned it around in their game against Whitman, the county champions for the past two years. The girls worked as a team rather than individuals, and as senior captain Maeve Givens explained, “We had much more confidence in our ability and were coming off a great week of hard practices.”

Both teams work hard every day, and the results are visible on the field. With their continued determination, both teams have a good shot in the rest of the season.

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The Tide

SPORTS

Athlete of the Issue

October 2015

Tri-athlete Alexander has the work ethic of a star

by Neil Duggal and Evan Scheinberg Senior Daniel Alexander has sports on his schedule every single season of the year. His dedication to football in the fall, track in the spring, and basketball in the summer and winter, has made him a oneman sports machine. The 6-foot senior is known for his incredible work ethic and physicality.

Alexander, who has played sports almost all his life, can run a 4.71 second 40 yard dash and has a wingspan of 77 inches.

The make of the senior is truly amazing, but the performances he puts up for RM are even more incredible.

Alexander is a huge part of RM’s early success in football. Coming into the game against Wootton, Alexander had already caught nine receptions, accumulated 100 yards, and notched five touchdowns as a receiver for the team.

He has played football for 11 years now.

Starting as the quarterback for the Rockets two years ago, he has since switched to starting wide receiver and safety. The transition “wasn’t very hard because as quarterback I learned how the other positions played, so when I switched I already knew the position,” he said.

The senior loves all aspects of football.

But what is most apparent is that he loves winning for his school.

The season is “going well, we’re practicing hard, and finally getting some wins,” Alexander noted. On the field,

Alexander has lined up against tough corners and safeties of other schools. ”Whenever someone tries to be physical with me, I try to match the physicality of them,” Alexander said. He also said that he has gotten better at running routes more precisely which allows him to have better

Alexander immediately felt the impact of running and jumping full-time in the spring season. “It helps your pace throughout games, and helps you run by opening your stride up,” Alexander said.

“I only started last year, yet I feel like I’ve made huge improvements on what I can

PHOTO BY FRANK AVENILLA

Daniel Alexander celebrates one of his team-leading touchdown catches against Eintein. chemistry with sophomore quarterback do on the court and the field right now.”

Spencer Silverstein.

“Every single sport you do needs Alexander started track in his junior speed,” Coach Rogers said. “Daniel’s year, competing in high jump events. doing jumping so we’re doing a lot of “Daniel’s a natural leader, so him coming strength stuff to work on his jumping. That out adds a lot of leadership,” Coach Davy strength helps come basketball season and Rogers said. “He’s a quick learner, very that speed helps come football season.” coachable, so him jumping last year came Alexander, one of the football captains, naturally to him.” was also a summer league captain for

the RM basketball team. He is a shooting guard and forward and loves basketball equally as much as football.

His track and football training have translated into superb basketball performances. “Playing safety has helped me play defense in basketball,” Alexander keenly noted. The senior is truly resilient on the defensive side of the ball for both sports. His goal for the upcoming basketball year is to help the team go further into the playoffs.

RM had an extraordinary regular season but had their season cut short in the playoffs. “We know what we have to do,” Alexander said referencing his desire for redemption in this year’s upcoming basketball season.

“He’s probably our best leader. He’s very vocal on and off the floor with the team. Daniel also has an incredible basketball IQ,” Coach David Breslaw said.

“He knows what he, as well as the rest of the team, should be doing at any given moment.”

A huge part of the Rockets’ cinderella season last year, Alexander was instrumental in key victories against Rockville and on senior night against Gaithersburg with strong defensive performances.

Alexander is truly a unique player on the court. “Across the stat sheet, he’s able to contribute. Whether it’s points, rebounds, assists, or hustle plays like loose balls, Daniel is always able to provide for the time. And I don’t think many other players are capable of doing that.”

Cross country excels on Volleyball spikes back its way toward counties

by Brooks Perks

by Ryan Choi and Kevin Hu The cross country team has wasted no time getting back into action this season.

They have already competed in one dual meet, one tri-meet, and three invitationals.

While the season has been great so far, members of both the boys and girls teams still have a lot left in the tank to make it their most successful season yet.

The boys cross country team started the season with a slow but steady start. The team has performed well at invitational meets, while going easier in the dual and tri meets.

According to senior Mac Morgan, it is all intentional. “It’s part of a really cool new training regimen where we’re really only racing the invitational meets...With dual meets, though, we’ve been training right through them, using them as workouts as opposed to races we’re trying to get top scores in.”

“We’re united in pain and suffering, but also in our love for running. ” -Stella Ho The boys are going to need all the training they can get as they prepare for counties, and hopefully, regionals and states.

Meanwhile as a team, they all share the same goal of striving to qualify for states.

Their game plan would be to try to get their top “three to seven runners...to step up [their] game a little more,” Morgan said.

With counties, regionals, and states right around the corner, the team has a lot of pressure on them to perform well.

However, they continue to maintain a positive attitude in all of their workouts, practices, and races.

“We race hard. Coach reminds us that every place counts. Don’t leave a race thinking you could have done better.

Leave it on the course, don’t stop till you’re done, and just use the training we have received,” sophomore Thomas Del Vecchio commented.

Meanwhile, the girls team has had a stellar season so far. At each of its meets, the girls have given it their all and the results have been showing. “As a team we have performed much better this year than we have in previous years,” senior Sophie El-Masry observed.

Girls varsity placed second at the Interstate Classic, third at the Maryland Track and Trail, and first at the Oatlands invitational, an event that catered to teams all over the DMV. The following week, the team snatched a win from Whitman, despite falling to B-CC at a tri-meet. According to El- Masry, “We have two weeks of hard training before counties and that’s where the focus is. We need to close the distance between our top five runners which means they need to push themselves to mimic that during workouts in order to do it during a race.”

With countless hard workouts, the team has definitely been the definition of no pain, no gain. To some, like sophomore Stella Ho, “RM cross country is about allowing myself to become as strong as possible, both physically and mentally.”

Emphasizing her love for the team, she stated, “We’re united in pain and suffering but also in our love for running.”

With counties just around the corner, both teams will continue to train as hard as they can while maintaining a positive attitude, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for regionals and states.

The girls volleyball team has been off to an electric start this season, bouncing back from a week one loss to a five game win streak. The girls trumped Springbrook,

move on to the next point like it never happened,” sophomore Victoria Crawford said. “We usually have some trouble with that.”

According to Coach Gretchen BarberStrunk, one of the keys to the team’s success this season will be “taking what we needed from previous games, and using

PHOTO COURTESY OF RM VOLLEYBALL

The girls varsity volleyball teams poses before their game against the Rockville Rams.

Paint Branch, BCC, Northwood, and even that to help us in games to come.” The team crosstown rival, the Rockville Rams. works to improve after school and early on They swept Springbrook and Northwood weekend mornings. in three sets, and breezed by BCC and “I feel like our chances are getting Rockville by a score of 3-1. Paint Branch stronger because each game we learn kept it close, with RM pulling ahead by something new about what we need to only one set. improve on and by the next game, that A big focus for the team is starting early. mistake is rarely seen,” Hernandez said.

Against Blair, when they fell behind two Although the aspiration of every team is sets to one, the Rockets struggled to fight to win a state title, many of the girls have back and were not able to pull off the a much more specific goal. “Our goal is to comeback. play well together and to win and lose as a Getting ahead early would avoid the team,” Crawford believes. “It is important difficult battle of climbing back into the to stay supportive and make sure we keep game, as well as use gain momentum from each other positive instead of bringing one each set. another down.” “[Blair] have always been a scrappy Another goal the team has is “for us team,” senior outside hitter Abby to overcome this fear we get when our Hernandez said. “Blair was never one of opponents start playing well,” Hernandez those easy teams for us but I do think we said. underestimated them and forgot about The girls aim to finish the second half of how hard they play.” the season even better than the way they Another area for improvement is “when started, and plan to with their optimistic we mess up, we need to shake it off and and persistent attitudes.