The Tide - March 2017

20

News 2-4

Spring into Sports 5

Opinions 6-8

International 10

Style 11

Center Spread 12-13

La Marea 14

Arts 16-17

Features 18-20

Sports 22-24

Robotics is engineering its way to the world stage

by Anna Chen and Michelle Ling

PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMSON REUTERS

President Donald Trump discusses the ban during a news conference.

Op-Ed: Impact of Trump’s travel executive order

by Aneeta Ashton According to the United States Constitution’s First Amendment, as a human being and as a valid citizen of the United States of America, I have the right to practice whatever religion I choose.

The Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” So I ask, what allows the government to place a travel ban on a group of people because of their faith?

Make no mistake: the passage of the executive order “Protection of the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” regarding the issue of refugees will create more problems than it will solve. It sends out the message, whether we mean it or not, that America does not want Muslims in the US.

I fully understand that it is the president’s duty to pass any necessary provisions that will protect the citizens of the United States from terrorist threats, but what I fail to understand is the manner in which he is doing it. What President Trump does not realize is that the hatred and feeling of alienation within the international Muslim community is exactly what caused 9/11.

The executive order, instead of preventing terrorism, will further stoke resentment and will give terrorists another reason to strike and will increase recruitment.

The order calls into question the very values we hold as a nation.

The act makes me wonder what it actually means to be a democracy.

The first order, released on January 27, called for the prevention of people from specific countries—Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia—from entering the United States for 90 days. The ban also suspended the U.S Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days until it would be brought back by people in President Trump’s IMMIGRATION, page 8

Read about 2017 AP/IB Art Show Pages 12-13

Inside The Tide...

Since the club was founded in 2011, RM Robotics has grown throughout the community, gaining recognition for its many successes in competitions and its outreach efforts.

RM Robotics consists of two different teams: Team 5421, “RM’d and Dangerous,” and Team 8121, “RMageddon.” The main objective of both teams is to prepare for the FIRST Tech

Challenge (FTC). “We have a new game every year, and we have to build a robot to complete that challenge while being able to fit inside an 18 x 18 x 18 inch sizing box,” senior Ryan Utz explained.

“This year, we had to build a robot that can collect particles and shoot them into a goal.”

Recently, the RM’d and Dangerous team won first in the states competition for the second time in three years.

Their next competition, the East Super-Regional Championship Tournament, will be held from

March 17 to 19 in Pennsylvania.

“They take the 72 best teams, and pit them against each other, and the winners will be heading to one of the two Worlds competitions,” Utz said. “We’re going to be vying for a spot there. I really hope we’ll get it.”

The RM Robotics club requires a big commitment from its members with mandatory meetings every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after school in the Rockville Library. In addition, ROBOTICS, page 19

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNIL TOHAN

The Robotics Team ‘RM’D and Dangerous’ won the Inspire award at the Maryland state championship.

SGA plans to end year with school-wide 5K Color Run

by Isabella Levine Organized themed runs, from the Color Run to the Bubble RUN, have been gaining momentum around the country. RM’s SGA is looking to capitalize on the trend and use it for a good cause.

The SGA has chosen to sponsor a color run to bring the RM community closer together and raise money for Pennies for Patients, a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

A color run is an event in which participants traverse a course, usually five kilometers long, while getting pelted with color powder.

Sophomore class president Nimah Nayel explained, “We thought this would be a fun way to get people involved in doing something for a common goal.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIQSO

Color Run participants throw various colored dyes into the air.

The SGA plans to bring this where the runners can cool off color run to the next level with with snacks and refreshments, many additional perks. According take pictures, and clean off the to junior Albert Zhang, who is color powder.” responsible for media publicity, “There will also be booths with “Every runner will get a color games and activities. Also, as of run starter kit that comes with now, there will be a concert at custom sunglasses, headbands, the end of the actual color run,” and t-shirts. Also, there will be COLOR RUN, page 18 a reception after the color run

Opinions, 8

Style, 11

La Marea, 14

Arts, 16

Sports, 22

Politics in Hollywood

A day without technology

Reformas migratorias

Spring Break humor

Behind the Booster Club

2

The Tide

March 2017

NEWS

Mr. Black and Boujee takes the crown at MR. RM

by Maureen Zeufack On the evening of March 3, hundreds of students gathered in the auditorium to witness the crowning of a king.

The MR. RM pageant, where 14 of the most eligible candidates from the senior class competed for the title of “MR. RM,” was one of the most anticipated events of the year.

The 14 boys vied for prizes that ranged from gift cards to a free tuxedo rental and tickets for prom.

However, the most esteemed prize was the title of “MR. RM” which included bragging rights for the entire year.

The event, hosted by seniors Valeria Parra-Torres and Vanessa Barnes, began with a short montage featuring past winners and a few light-hearted words of wisdom from MR. RM 2003, Alex Dudley.

After this, the show was kicked off with an entertaining dance.

The stage lights illuminated a lineup of boys clad in khakis and white button-downs who broke out into dance to a mashup of catchy songs, including “It’s Raining Men” by the Weather Girls.

The contestants were then introduced, as each of the 14 boys pantomimed their life stories to comedic narration by the hosts.

Following this was the talent portion, featuring a wide array of talents such as a music video and live performance of an original rap, breakdancing, a video parody of the popular sitcom “The Office,” and even singing a song about being a lumberjack with a barbershop quartet of other contestants.

After the talent portion was intermission, but not before a meaningful video message that

reminded the audience of what the event was really about.

A local hometown hero and high school student detailed his battle with Lymphoma and how it has affected him physically as well as socially.

He spoke of the port that was installed in his chest and how his illness has prevented him from playing sports and required him to become home-schooled.

He then thanked everyone for being there that night and urged audience members to donate during intermission.

During the intermission,

The evening resumed with the formal wear section. Fourteen contestants dressed in their finery were escorted across the stage by their mothers, sisters, friends or girlfriends.

A number of contestants were able to come up with interesting ways to greet their escort, from complicated handshakes to piggyback rides.

The rest of the night continued with a casual wear and “pickup” line section, where the contestants donned their everyday clothes and showed off their best pickup lines to seniors Gabi Scott and

PHOTO BY FATMA ELSAYED

Mr. RM contestants cheer for Drew Byrd, aka Mr. Black and Boujee, after the results were announced. all attendees were given the opportunity to place donations in boxes labeled with the names of MR. RM contestants as a part of the “Mr. Coingeniality” contest.

All proceeds from this contest went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society towards finding a cure for blood cancers, and the contestant raising the most money would be crowned “Mr. Coingeniality” later on that night.

Reet Goraya.

This was followed by the beach wear section where contestants posed onstage, sporting a wide variety of beachwear ensembles, from a pair of jean shorts and a sleeveless flannel to a full wetsuit.

As always, in between certain portions of the night, the infamous “Peanut Butter and Jelly Girls” took the stage, dancing wildly to transition from one section to another.

March/April

March 24

After, a short blooper reel was played, highlighting comedic moments in preparation for the show. Some bloopers included contestants wobbling during dances and breaking out into uncontrollable laughter.

After deliberation, the esteemed panel of judges, including staff members such as history teacher Lisa MacFarlane and physics teacher Charles Goetz III, made the first cuts.

Only five remained in the competition: Drew Byrd, Thwang Tang, Alec Hall, Marcelo Amorelli, and Thomas Hughes.

Student-Staff Basketball Game Gotta getcha head in the game.

March 25

Spring Play RM presents “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later.”

March 28

Choral Festival They look sharp, but sound natural.

April 1

April Fools Day Watch your step!

April 5-6

National College Fair Come to the fair (be there, or be square).

April 6

Third Quarter Ends So... close... to summer...

Finally came the question section, where the Final Five were each asked one casual question and one serious question.

The boys were interrogated with questions ranging from what they would do with their last days on earth and what animated character they identified with the most.

Following this was a montage of the contestants’ baby photos that was met with many “aw’s” from the audience.

After the slideshow ended, the moment had finally come to crown MR. RM 2017 and Mr. Coingeniality.

The award for “Mr. Coingeniality” went to “Mr. Sweatpants” (Joey Moore), who accepted a sash and a gift card along with his title.

Once the cheers for Moore subsided, Hughes, Tang, and

Amorelli were all declared runner-ups. The final two, Drew Byrd and Alec Hall, stood onstage with arms around each other’s’ shoulders.

Anticipation swirled through the crowd before Byrd’s name was read off the card and he was crowned MR. RM. Byrd, in disbelief and joy, accepted his crown before being engulfed in the massive embrace of his fellow contestants and hoisted into the air as his original rap sounded on the speakers.

For Barnes, who began training to work on the show in her junior year, the show was a triumph.

“Shownight was such a whirlwind of emotions because first there was this sense of pressure to making sure the show went well, then there was this grand sense of euphoria from realizing that MR. RM— the show I had loved ever since I was a freshman— was finally happening and all of my peers were in it and I had the pleasure of hosting it,” she explained.

“I had so much pride and love for all the boys on stage, who are all stars in their own way and they are all such commendable, humorous, kind young men and I was so happy to work with them,” Barnes said.

For sophomore Isabella Levine, an audience member, it was the concept of the entire event that excited her.

“The overall goal [of MR. RM] is to be funny, so I really like the concept because with boys as the contestants, it’s almost making fun of the idea of pageants,” Levine stated.

“Beauty pageants have historically objectified and degraded women, so I like the idea of boys participating to sort of highlight how ridiculous it is,” Levine continued.

Barnes summed up the entire experience when she said, “MR. RM is one of RM’s greatest events and after 15 years its sentiment is truly unique, as it brings people from all friend groups to support their friends and thus support the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.”

“It’s just such an amazing production and I was so honored to be apart of such a spectacular thing for a great cause,” Barnes said.

AWARDS

RM’s debate team completed the season with a win at county championships. Junior Kunal Harmalkar and senior David Edimo earned first place.

Members of RM’s Model UN club participated in the 54th NAIMUN conference. Sophomore Isaac Applebaum received Best Delegate. Senior Faaiq Zarger and junior Alex Hu earned honorables, and junior Josh Levy was awarded a verbal commendation.

Congratulations to juniors Naveen Raman, Adam Howlett, and Alex Hu and senior Saam Zahedian of RM Varsity Quizbowl Team for winning 7-0 and claiming first place at the Capital Region History Bowl at Centennial High School.

RM DECA for won first place at the 2017 State Career Development Conference at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD and for boasting the highest student membership in the state.

Winners will advance to ICDC, the international level, in Anaheim, California in April.

Congratulations to the RM Boys Swim and Dive Team for securing yet another state title, their third in the past four years.

RM Mock Trial Team advanced to the semifinals in the countywide competition.

Congratulations to RM Chamber Orchestra for their Superior ratings at the MCPS Orchestra festival.

NEWS

The Tide

March 2017

3

Two SMOB candidates finalized Teenage drivers face

by Angela Sun and Derek Yao This year’s election for Student Member of the Board (SMOB) saw a record high of 13 students vying for the position, representing schools from nine different high schools throughout the county.

On February 22, delegates from all MCPS schools gathered for the SMOB Nominating Convention, commonly referred to as NomCom, to narrow down the large pool of candidates to two.

NomCom is organized every year by the Montgomery County Regional SGA (MCR) and their Special Elections Committee. This year, students will finalize the SMOB of the 2017-2018 school year on April 26.

As the 40th SMOB, the elected candidate will be an active member of Montgomery County’s Board of Education.

Just as in the previous years, this year’s NomCom was held at Watkin Mills High School. In light of the number of candidates, the convention required two rounds of voting: one which cut the candidates into seven and one which determined the final two. Each of the 13 candidates made brief opening and closing statements before each round.

Before the opening statements, the delegates were welcomed by the principal of Watkins Mill, the president of MCR and the director of the Special Elections Committee. Many members of the Board of Education, including the current Student Member of the Board Eric Guerci, were in the

audience.

The second round of voting featured a question and answer panel. The topics involved the club Black CAP, a minority rights organization at Montgomery Blair High School, giving delegates a chance to understand the platforms of the candidates represented.

amount of delegates selected but the way people were selected.

Takoma Park Middle School, for example, did not bring the maximum amount of delegates it could bring, a choice which some might argue leads to underrepresentation.

NomCom is important for a variety of reasons. “It’s important

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCR-SGA

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE C. ROSSINI

Twelve candidates gather before preliminary results are announced.

As with any event, there were certain concerns about the event schedule. Because of the huge number of candidates represented this year, organization became a pressing subject.

“A lot of students were swarmed by candidates as they were getting off buses, which can definitely be intimidating or hard to deal with,” candidate Michael Yin said, referring to the crowd of candidates and their campaign team handing out materials and flyers at the bus drop off.

There were more concerns regarding the delegate selection process. Since school SGAs are essentially given free choice in the method of selection, there was a lot of variability in not only the

for students to be knowledgeable in who’s running for SMOB as it will help them understand their platform and what decisions they would help make,” sophomore Ummara Khan, who attended the convention as a delegate, said.

NomCom is a catalyst for communication, fostering new ideas and allowing candidates to address issues mentioned during the Q&A segment. At the end of the night, the two candidates left standing were juniors Matt Post from Sherwood High School and Alex Abrosimov, last year’s SMOB candidate, from RM. These two candidates will continue to campaign until the elections for the official SMOB position later this year.

earlier curfew bill

by Aral Markert After the number of young driver fatalities in Maryland went up 75 percent from 2014 to 2015, lawmakers proposed a bill that would change the curfew for teenage drivers from midnight to 10 p.m. This curfew would affect teenagers with provisional licenses, including drivers coming from jobs, school activities, volunteer programs and athletic events.

The bill aims to lower the number of accidents involving young drivers. From 2006-2015, 306 teenagers died as a result of car crashes in Maryland, and the number of drivers injured was almost 33,000, according to the Maryland Highway Safety Office.

The 2017 transportation poll conducted by AAA showed that 77 percent of drivers in Maryland supported an earlier curfew time for teens.

Before lawmakers implement any changes, however, the bill still has to pass through a committee in Annapolis. If it succeeds, it will move on to the Maryland Senate for consideration.

Some students, like freshman Fang Fang Wyatt, believe this action is long overdue. “I think [the curfew] should have already been pushed up to 10,” Wyatt said.

Others, like sophomore Lauren Zhou, question how effective the curfew would be.

“If you’re going out at night, and say, drinking or something for fun, then you’re probably not going to pay so much

attention to a curfew,” Zhou said.

Sophomore Lauren Spiese echoed this sentiment. “I feel like some kids won’t follow [the curfew] and they’ll try and get away with it anyway,” Spiese said.

GRAPHIC BY KATHERINE WANG

“Moving the curfew up might cause more speed-related crashes if teens are rushing home because it’s 9:55 p.m. or they’re past curfew and don’t want to be caught,” junior Evelyn Sturrock said.

Sturrock described how she has to drive past 10 p.m. to attend weekly orchestra rehearsals that aren’t school-sponsored, and the curfew would put unnecessary pressure on her to get home faster.

Junior Alythia Vo raised similar concerns: “Sometimes, I go see a show at RM or I have an orchestra concert or rehearsal that doesn’t end until 9:30 to 10 and I have to drive home.”

“I support the attempt to reduce teen driving accidents, but I’m not sure if moving the curfew will help that much,” junior Alexandra Mao said. Her opinion reflects that of many students who support the curfew but wonder if it would really reduce Maryland’s young driver fatalities.

RM construction in 2021 New Ritchie the Rocket

by Haihai Yu As the region’s population increases, many schools are receiving expansions to accommodate. Julius West Middle School recently received an expansion, and now Richard Montgomery High School will be receiving one as well.

The plans intended to demolish excess computer labs. Three meetings were held last fall to develop ideas for expanding the school. Computer labs that were not for language or technology purposes are expected to be removed and replaced with classrooms.

Another proposal involves reorienting the computer labs facing Fleet Street by rotating them by 90 degrees. However, this configuration would require a makeover of the school’s facade to maintain a consistent exterior.

Construction will start in 2019 and is expected to take five years. In the meantime, classroom space will increase in other ways.

“We are getting portable classrooms, relocatables, we are getting two this year, and then we are going to continue. Next year we are going to get three. So as the five years go along, they will keep adding additional space. They’ll be putting the relocatables in the parking lot because the practice field is where the staging area will be,” Mr. Monteleone said.

The relocatables will take up space on the student parking lot, which is one of the concerns of this construction.

“There are limitless [concerns].

Concerns about if the construction even happens or about the time it takes to be done. If they could work over the summer, we would not have to displace classrooms and then the issues concerning portable classrooms and floating teachers would not be a problem. With all these concerns, there

is much more to be discussed about this construction.” Mr. Monteleone said.

“The construction activity might be disruptive because, you know, construction sites are usually quite loud,” junior Bryson Hedberg said. “I also think there might be safety problems if the construction takes place near where students might be going.

Also, the budget might not be enough, just to list a few concerns.”

The expansion plan is broken into three parts. The cafeteria, originally built with structural supports for future expansions, which the auditorium will be built on top of. Additionally, there will be a new weight lifting and dance studio outside the boys locker room and art rooms.

The expansion to the new athletic facility is the only finalized addition. The current dance room will be converted to a wrestling room. Furthermore, the weight room will be used as a team room to accommodate the rising student athlete population.

“There is going to be glass everywhere, so when you’re inside working out you’ll be able to see the athletic facility. A lot of universities do this and it will join the inside and outside,” Mr. Monteleone said.

As portable classrooms are added and construction starting in two years, this five year plan aims to expand the school to accommodate the growing population of the area.

“I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Mr. Monteleone said.

PHOTO BY FATMA ELSAYED

Construction model for 2021 RM addition.

by Jennifer Li and Helen Qian The RM rocket has had a lengthy history, almost as old as the school itself.

The close association of Richard Montgomery High School with the rocket began in 1927 with the launch of the first RM yearbook named The Rocket in the hopes that RM would soar in both athletics and academics.

Nearly a century later, our mascot Ritchie the Rocket made his debut at a basketball game in 2009.

Despite boosting RM spirit for more than half a decade, Ritchie the Rocket has sustained some wear and tear.

Veteran gym teacher John Fahrner has seen RM grow throughout the years especially in athletics and pep rallies.

“The costume is very old...

It’s old enough not to get in it,” Mr. Fahrner said. Throughout Ritchie’s lifetime, the costume has never changed, only the people in it.

However, RM will soon say goodbye to the ancient costume, as Ritchie is about to receive his first costume upgrade.

SGA President Sofia Bhalwani has been working to design and fundraise for a new Ritchie the Rocket.

The new costume will be revealed at the end of March. Bhalwani is excited for the reveal, but has been keeping the plan under wraps and has refused to disclose information on the bulk of the design.

“It’s confidential,” Bhalwani told Tide reporters.

According to Freshman SGA Secretary Kush Savsani, the image of Ritchie the Rocket will mostly stay the same with some minor updates.

“The new mascot is going to have a fan, so that whoever’s wearing it can stay cool the entire time,” Savsani said.

The current Ritchie has also had broken shoes for a while, with the mascot simply wearing whatever shoes they bring with them.

The upgrade aims to craft Ritchie’s shoes as a part of the complete costume again.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

While the new costume change will definitely lend much more comfort to the wearer, the spirit and sense of community that our beloved Ritchie the Rocket represents has never faltered.

At the end of the day, Ritchie has given generations of students the same passion for school events and dedicated school spirit. Since the creation of the rocket tradition, Ritchie has come to represent all aspects of the RM community.

Since the beginning of the rocket tradition, Ritchie has come to represent all aspects of the RM community.

As Mr. Fahrner said, “The enthusiasm from students for the day is a great thing.

You can’t go wrong with a mascot at RM.”

4

NEWS

The Tide

March 2017

National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigns

by Rose Kelly President Donald Trump has been president for less than 100 days, but his administration has already been marred by controversy, allegedly propagated by “fake news.”

Historically, the first hundred days of any president’s administration have been relatively uneventful, with approval ratings high and legislation passing without difficulty. Trump has not been afforded such a luxury.

General Michael Flynn, former national security advisor to Donald Trump, lasted 24 days into the Trump administration, marking an early controversy for the administration.

Flynn had been widely questioned as a choice for the position, not for a lack of experience as he is a retired intelligence officer, but rather for his demeanor.

“He has been accused of Islamophobia and having a loose relationship with the facts,” the Independent US, a news channel stationed in New York, said.

Labels prescribed to Flynn predated any majorly visible scandal and came long before his forced resignation from his position as national security advisor.

In December 2016, Flynn became tangled in the Pizzagate episode by tweeting about the Clintons and their alleged activities that warranted an attack on Comet Ping Pong in Washington D.C. His son, who served as his father’s chief of staff, also legitimized the Comet Ping Pong theories in a series of tweets.

On February 9, the Washington Post reported definitively on a greater and more politically controversial Flynn saga.

Between December and February, there

was little attention directed towards the former national security advisor.

The New York Times reported that Flynn spoke to Russian ambassador, Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak, on December 29. White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, discussed the phone calls between Flynn and Kislyak in a January 13 press

to nine officials with knowledge of the call and intelligence agencies that the men spoke to about sanctions. Michael Flynn resigned on February 13 as it became widely acknowledged that he disseminated inaccurate information to high ranking officials about the calls.

Flynn’s spreading of misinformation

PHOTO COURTESY OF POLITICO

General Michael Flynn speaks to an audience on account of his calls with Russia. conference, stating that the men only discussed logistics.

On January 15, Vice President Mike Pence talked to CBS news about Flynn’s conversation with the Russian ambassador.

“He did not discuss anything having to do with the United States’ decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia,” Pence said.

While Flynn’s communications with Kislyak were questionable, they were not truly scandalous until it became apparent that Flynn lied about the nature of the calls to senior Trump officials, including the vice president.

The Washington Post uncovered the reality of Flynn’s phone calls by speaking

resulted in Pence spreading misinformation on national television, causing an embarrassment for the administration.

Flynn may have also violated the Logan Act, a federal law that outlines the consequences for intervening without permission in U.S. affairs with foreign governments.

When Flynn spoke to Russian officials, he was not yet national security advisor because Trump had not yet been inaugurated.

His most staunch opponents argue that he violated the Logan Act by discussing sanctions with Russia while he was still a private citizen. His alleged crime however, is unlikely to be prosecuted.

Flynn’s communication with Russia provides significant fodder to many who accuse the Trump administration of showing a favoritism towards Russia and abandoning recent foreign policy.

“The Trump administration has shown, at least publicly, a greater sense of friendship or willingness to get along with Russia,” social studies teacher Noah Grosfeld-Katz said.

That willingness directly counters recent U.S.-Russia relations leading up to this administration.

For many Americans, the new relationship that Trump is forging with Russian President Vladimir Putin is concerning.

“I’m supportive of strengthening ties to Russia, when Russia’s not being so conservative,” senior Kat Osborne said, in reference to Putin’s poor human rights record.

Junior Kunal Harmalkar read the situation differently, believing that the subsequent resignation of Flynn is more significant than his initial contact with Russia.

“It’s clear that the administration is doing all it can to distance itself from Russia,” Harmalkar said.

There is a general consensus that current geopolitics are confusing, especially between two of the strongest players and loudest voices internationally—the United States and Russia.

Flynn serves as a tangible representation of the confusion and the efforts for the powers to interact. Just as Flynn’s statements remain ambiguous, the consequences of a new U.S. and Russian relationship is unknown.

“I just really think the government needs to reevaluate,” Osborne said. “We need less opacity and more transparency.”

New administrator SGA proposes a 5K color run

by Angela Sun and Derek Yao The beginning of 2017 ushered in, amongst other things, changes to the administrative staff at Richard Montgomery High School.

The transfer of Kimberly Heidler (previous assistant principal) left a vacancy in the administration office which was temporarily filled in by resource teacher Lisa O’Brien.

As February drew to a close, the administrative staff welcomed a replacement, Assistant Principal Micah Wiggins.

Mr. Wiggins, a longtime administrator and teacher, has previously worked at Walter Johnson High School, Albert Einstein High School and Quince Orchard High School.

Beginning as a social teacher at Walter Johnson, he now has over 13 years of experience in MCPS schools alone.

As one of three assistant principals, Mr. Wiggins’ role varies from supporting the principal to monitoring academic progress of students.

“Overall, my role is to support

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Vice Principal Micah Wiggins.

the principal in whatever he wants me to do to support the students here at Richard Montgomery,” Wiggins said.

On a more specific note, Mr. Wiggins supervises the social studies, physical education, music, art and foreign language subject departments.

He has also been heavily involved in implementing the College Career Readiness and College Completion Act (CCRCCA), which requires students to be assessed for proficiency in English and mathematics in at least one career and college readiness assessment by the end of grade 11.

“The job of the administrator is three things: safety and security, matriculation—which is to make sure every student I’m responsible for gets through high school in the allotted time—and graduation,” Mr. Wiggins said.

Although he makes the job sound simple, the role of any administrator, particularly the assistant principal, is no easy feat, particularly with such a large school population.

Mr. Wiggins noted that RM has a couple hundred more students than any of the schools he worked at previously.

While he is but a few weeks into the job, Mr. Wiggins nonetheless has a vision for the kind of school environment he hopes to foster in his time as an administrator.

Wiggins said, “I want to make sure we provide a nurturing and engaging environment for students as well as ensuring they have every option possible for academic success. I also want to make sure that when students leave from high school they are college and or career ready.”

COLOR RUN, cont. from page 1 Nayel added.

There are certainly some challenging obstacles that the SGA will have to face while organizing this event. For many on the executive board, this is their first experience planning a color run.

Zhang explained, “This is my first time planning such a large event, so I’m both intimidated but excited to tackle the challenge.

This will be the first time I order merchandise in bulk, block off public roads and run a large advertising campaign.”

When asked about the logistical hurdles of a color run, freshman class president Pranav Tadikonda replied, “I think the most challenging aspect of organizing this event is the safety issue. Although unlikely, there is a chance of a student getting injured, and we would have to deal with that. This is why medical and consent forms should be implemented.”

Zhang finds plotting the course of the run to be difficult as well.

“We need to fill out a location form and plot the course.

That requires calculating the approximate distance and how it’ll impact traffic,” he said.

Although the idea of holding a color run is novel to RM, the student body seems eager about this new event, and the response has been positive.

Junior Alena Spencer, a running enthusiast, pointed out, “People who like to run will have a ton of fun. It is definitely a little

different from what the SGA has done before, but I totally think it’s a great idea.”

Recognizing the logistical issues, sophomore Tesia Shi said, “I think that even if it doesn’t turn out as well as they hope, it’s worth a try.”

The Color Run will promote health on two fronts. The proceeds will go towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and help fund blood cancer research and patient services.

acid, among other things. I don’t know if it’s directly correlated to running, but most, if not all, of those problems disappeared,” she said.

Spencer believes that this event will get more people interested in sports in the long run.

“The Color Run will benefit the school community because people who love to run will have fun,” Spencer said.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

The run also has health benefits for the participants, as it combines fitness and entertainment. For those who are less active, taking on a 5K for the first time seems daunting, but the colors, activities, and friends that come along with a color run create a relaxing atmosphere.

Shi started running over the summer, which has benefitted her health. “The doctor said I had a weak heartbeat, and in my blood test I had unnatural levels of uric

Also, if students want to join cross country in the fall, then they can get an idea of how long the meet courses are.”

While the exact date and location of the Color Run are yet to be announced, the SGA strongly encourages participation, promising that it will be a fun and exciting way to promote cancer research.

“I think this is one of the best events this year the SGA has planned,” Tadikonda said.

The Tide

March 2017

Spring into Sports

5

Left: Senior Eric Tao goes for a bump at the boys volleyball team’s first scrimmage against the Clarksburg High School Coyotes.

Below: Juniors Ryan Choi and Shoham Ghosh take on opponents together in a doubles match during the boys varsity tennis tryouts.

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Above: Girls practice their throwing and catching skills on the whitetop before tryouts for the varsity lacrosse team. There is stiff competition for spots on this skilled team and the girls are working hard to make it.

Right above: The track and field distance and mid-distance team runs their tenth 400 repeat of the practice. Elsewhere on the track the sprinting team runs 150 meter sprints and the hurdlers learn the ropes.

Right: The boys lacrosse team plays wall-ball before their own tryouts, throwing the ball against the school and catching it when it rebounds.

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Above: The sprinters, distance, hurdling and field teams gather on the track before their 2:45 practice time to hear updates about tryouts and their workouts for the afternoon.

6

The Tide

OPINIONS

The pitfalls of participation awards

by Bhavesh Kemburu Students learn from a young age that not everybody can be first. However, in an attempt to instill a sense of accomplishment among all participants, especially younger ones, it has become commonplace for recreational sports coaches and activity coordinators to give out participation awards.

A participation award is given to someone for simply participating in an event, rather than meeting merit-based standards. It is debatable whether or not these prizes award true effort or simply encourage passivity.

Some argue that children below a certain age should be encouraged to take part in activities without a fear of losing.

Ultimately, however, I do not believe that participation awards have any practical or beneficial effect.

Instead, participation awards simply serve to coddle children and shelter them from reality.

Ideally, participation awards are meant to raise the morale of those who take part in a sport or event.

“They are prizes that can remind participants of their effort,” sophomore Gillian Smith said.

Participation awards can also reward children who are disadvantaged.

“They lead to continued participation for people who are disabled and cannot compete or perform in the same way that others can,” Smith said.

However, the harsh reality is that any competition consists of two groups: the winners and the losers. To say that participation awards will boost morale for recipients in their future endeavours is simply an

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

unreasonable claim.

“The real world does not dole out accolades for those who do not accomplish anything,” senior Faaiq Zarger said.

While the concept of recognizing and appreciating all participants may seem fair, it does not prepare children for the unapologetic world which we live in.

Participation awards are a temporary measure to encourage

children to try new things, but they also mitigate the effects of defeat, which can be a valuable experience.

“I do not think participation awards provide an incentive to try harder,” senior Sofia Bhalwani said. The motivation to improve and bounce back is what truly fuels success.

Also, participation awards fail to accurately reward effort or hard work. These awards are given to both the hard workers who fall just short of a goal as well as those who put no effort whatsoever.

“Since every team/group put in effort, then everybody is a winner,” says Bhalwani, in an explanation of why participation awards are given out. But where does that leave those who do not put in effort?

Some might argue that participants do not really take pride in participation awards, and that these awards simply foster a healthy competitive culture among children.

“They’re reminders that all participants are worth something, not just the best ones,” Smith said.

Yet refraining from giving participation awards does not mean that those who did not finish among the best are not worth anything. Instead, it actually adds more value to competition by making sure that excellence is undiluted.

“They are a trophy simply for the sake of having a trophy,” Zarger says. True value lies in learning from experience rather than appeasing the defeated.

Crocs: a controversial fashion trend

by Shevani Tewari Fashion trends have rapidly changed as new consumer tastes and preferences evolve.

Nevertheless, there have been some fads in the fashion world which have prevailed through mixed opinions surrounding their aesthetic value and durability.

The most well-known of these trends is the footwear we either love or hate: Crocs.

At Richard Montgomery, opinions on this controversial choice of footwear range widely.

Junior Esika Savsani said, “I am very repulsed by them and would never wear, or encourage anyone, to wear them.”

In stark contrast, freshman Eli Haupt declared, “I love them!

They’re practical and overall an ideal shoe.” So, who is right in this situation? In order to really understand the controversy, we must examine both sides of the argument.

Most Crocs-haters cite their disgust as a result of the shoe’s unsightly appearance. One Crochater, freshman Etay Gvirtzman, argued, “They are ugly, hard, rubber, and I don’t understand why anyone would wear them.”

Gvirtzman’s opinion is shared by many famous fashion experts across the world. Dissent over the appearance of Crocs has gone as far as Time Magazine naming Crocs as one of “The 50 Worst Inventions” in 2010 and stating, “They just might be attractive enough to do your laundry in.”

Freshman Corinne Foley even ventured to ask, “Why do they

March 2017

even exist?”

Due to their negative stigma, Crocs have generated many misconceptions about their comfort level and durability. For example, freshman Sareet Nayak claimed that, “They probably hurt.” This statement is quite understandable. If one were to take a close look at the shoes, the hard rubber, large holes,

GRAPHIC BY ALISA GAO

and flat soles do not seem very comfortable, especially if they are not compatible with one’s foot structure.

However, in an article by The Washington Post, Harold Glickman, doctor of Podiatric Medicine, wrote, “I recommend them to patients all the time, and I wear them all the time.” Why? Freshman Ayesha Khawaja explained, “They won’t slip off like regular sandals, and you can customize them with a variety of buttons and colors. Also, Crocs provide good circulation to the feet because of the holes.”

Doctor Glickman compared them to flip-flops, the other common summer footwear. He said, “Flip-flops don’t provide a lot of arch support. They are opentoed, so you can stub your toe and hurt yourself. Crocs offer more protection and comfort.”

Other students have mixed opinions about Crocs. Junior Kunal Harmalkar stated, “They’re kind of ugly but really comfortable. So, I guess I have a net positive opinion, but I would never wear them.”

Some fashion experts appreciate Crocs and incorporate them into their looks, such as Scottish fashion designer Christopher Kane, who was passionate enough about Crocs, to bring them to a London catwalk in September 2016. Kane added his personal twist to the design by using marbled rubber and sticking sparkly rocks and crystals to the outside of the shoes.

Kane explained, “I always work with unexpected items and combinations, transforming the everyday into desirable luxury.”

His version of the seemingly hideous shoes was more successful than most would expect.

Unfortunately, when Vogue took a poll on Twitter after the fashion show, 70% of respondents held a firm stance on never wearing Crocs, while a minority of responders stated that they would consider wearing Crocs if they were designed in Kane’s style.

The debate on whether to buy a pair of Crocs depends on the buyer, and whether they prioritize looks or practicality. Personally, I would never stick my foot into a hollowed out chunk of rubber, but I would not stop anyone from doing so.

Student Voices: International Women’s Day Should International Women’s Day be a national holiday?

47 responses (Yes: 31, No: 16) I feel like we can recognize this issue effectively and broadly, not in the form of a holiday. Other countries do need it as a holiday to give recognition, give time and give space to women who have definitely contributed to society.

-Emmanuel Corporal, 10th grade I absolutely love the idea of an official day recognizing women, but it inherently implies a no school day. This goes against one of the fundamental goals of the women’s movement: education.

We aim to educate women of all types and a no school day kind of contradicts that.

-Magali Ngouabou, 11th grade Women’s rights are human rights, and I think that women deserve a day to celebrate themselves and the wonderful women before them.

-Deeksha Sesha, 9th Grade

Correction

Aneeta Ashton was not credited for the Coach of the Issue article in the February issue.

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 distributed among students.

Any corrections are printed in the following issue on page 6.

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............................Jenny Chen, Daisy Grant, Victoria Priester, Phil Zhang News................................................................Jisue Gonzales, Christina You, Isabelle Zhou Opinions........................................................................... Alex Hu, Cindy Song, Angela Sun International...........................................................................Vlady Guttenberg, Sindhu Iyer Center Spread............................................................................Proma Rahman, Grace Wang La Marea............................................................................................................Lisa Hernandez Features.....................................................................................................Rachel Li, Irene Park Arts.......................................................................................................Stella Ho, Albert Zhang Sports..............................................................Madeleine Cheng, Kevin Hu, Julia Kochman Photo....................................................Taylor Balfour, Fatma Elsayed, Jessica Ji, Mona Lee Graphics..........................................................................................Kern Lee, Katherine Wang Online.................................................................................................................Maddie Franke Advisers......................................................................Ms. Laurie Brown, Mrs. Bonnie Peyer

OPINIONS

The Tide

Black & Gold

March 2017

7

Should schools grade students based on a curve?

Yes, reflects real world situations

by Ashley Ye Since the mid-1980’s, grade inflation has become an increasingly prominent issue within American secondary education. Grades are considered inflated when teachers give out a large percentage of A’s and B’s, which diminishes their significance. In order to combat this, schools ought to grade students on a curve, a practice already widespread in college.

When grading on a curve, students’ grades on individual assignments are distributed to fit a normal distribution or bell-curve, where most students receive a median grade of B or C and only the very best and worst of the class receive A’s, D’s, or fail. Students are graded relative to their peers, which fosters healthy competition and motivation.

Outside of school, people will always be compared to one another within competitive settings. Whether it is applying for college or seeking a job, there will only be a set number of people admitted while the rest are rejected. “In reality, your relative standing is all that matters,” sophomore Rose Kelly noted.

As a result, grading on a curve imitates real-world situations and prepares students more effectively for life after high school.

By the time they graduate, students would have ample experience in a competitive environment and will have learned how to navigate it.

PHOTO BY CALEB SCHAUER

Student demonstrates knowledge on test.

In addition, grading on a curve rewards the students that work the hardest. “Some people are really competitive and will go above and beyond,” freshman Meghna Pandey said. This grading method encourages healthy competition, as it pushes students to put in their best effort and achieve their greatest potential.

“Students will do better overall, having the competition of having a set number of people get A’s every time,” freshman Anagha Shastry said. As a result, students will produce higher quality results as competition provides stronger incentives.

If we continue with the current grading system, many students will have little motivation to improve their work ethic

B

Black

compared to others. More and more students are getting A’s without having to put in as much effort, which has led to an overall downward trend in student work quality as capable students have little incentive to try any harder.

In addition, grading on a curve makes students less inclined to give their peers an unfair advantage on assignments. Very few students would tell their peers the answers to a quiz they take later on in the day if their own grade would suffer as a result.

Tolerance for cheating would rapidly diminish across the student body, fostering a culture of honesty and hard work.

Not to mention, grading on a curve also protects students from getting harsh grades on difficult exams. When grading on a curve, all students who perform significantly better relative to others will be able to obtain A’s and B’s. If the majority of a class performs poorly, the difficulty of the test would be adequately accounted for.

Teachers under the curve system use their students’ performance to assess how difficult the test was and how harshly they should grade. “I can’t tell, just by looking at the exams, where to draw the line between an A- exam and a B+ exam,” Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA, said.

Grading on a curve is extremely accurate at determining proficiency in large classes, so the grades that students receive are usually well-deserved.

Critics argue that grading on a curve would force a certain number of students to fail the course, while under the current grading system they would not. In reality, according to The Washington Post, many of the top law schools do not have any mandatory D’s or F’s. Instead, the professors have discretion when it comes to grading on a curve, and thus, often choose C as the lowest possible grade.

Instead of forcing students to fail, a high school system might simply require that students put in more effort to get a high grade. Furthermore, according to Buzzle, relative grading usually results in higher aggregate scores compared to grades that are not curved. In the end, the internal motivation which is fostered by the grading curve actually compels students to work harder and earn better grades.

Thus, such a system might actually encourage students to explore and take classes where they might otherwise not, as poor performance would be punished less directly than under a strictly point-based system.

Although certain students might think that taking less challenging classes would help them get into college, the truth is that most colleges already consider course rigor and relative performance, and will not take students’ GPAs at face value.

Moreover, curve grading forces teachers to grade the work more carefully and give out a larger variety of scores. According to The Washington Post, teachers are currently reluctant to give students low grades, which leads to grade inflation.

Under a curve, the number of each grade given out is set, so teachers can no longer be too lenient or too strict when grading.

They will have to give a larger range of grades, and the scores will reflect students’ abilities more effectively.

Finally, implementing a curve grading system is flexible, and there are different ways to do it. “They really should not implement a bell curve early on in school, maybe in the later years such as junior and senior years,” Pandey suggested.

Regardless of what variation, schools should grade students based on a curve to avoid the perils of grade inflation and to improve academic performance. Curving grades would ultimately prepare high school students for college and the world beyond, which is precisely what schools should aim to do.

G

No, creates unhealthy competition

by Derek Yao

Gold

In a society where college is often seen as the precursor to a bright future, students are driven to achieve a balanced combination of academics and extracurriculars. High schoolers are determined to achieve academic goals, a determination fostered by the school environment. Academic drive is important, but becomes excessive when students have schools are not doing that, so it limits the to compete against their peers because they competitiveness of RM students applying are graded on a curve. to college. If everyone gets a 90%-95% in The phrase “grading on a curve” is earning a mark on a test and you have to often misused to describe when teachers curve it, that 90% suddenly becomes an E.” adjust all of the students’ grades on an If we were one of the only schools assignment by adding a few extra points. to base our grades on a curve, it would But a true curve is when the teacher uses severely decrease the chances for RM the normal bell curve to set aside a certain students to be taken seriously in the eyes percentage of the class to receive each letter of admissions offices, as the distribution of grade. grades would have a much larger spread.

Many would argue that curving grades would help address the issue of grade inflation. Yes, the value of an A is definitely less than it was a decade ago. According “A student who to a 2007 National Household Education Survey, 81% of high school students in the works hard enough U.S. received A’s and B’s. However, the to get an A should concerns over grade inflation are minor compared to the dangers of grading on a get an A. It doesn’t curve. make sense for it to Having only a set amount of students who can receive an A does not work in a be otherwise.” world where a good GPA is essential to get into a decent college. English teacher - Joshua Yu Michael Oakes stated, “There is definitely a difference in the amount of A’s between now and five years ago, but curves shouldn’t be the way to solve the inflation Additionally, the people that are in grades.”

Grading on a curve punishes falling behind in the curve system would academically successful students by not be confronted with a feeling of perpetual worthlessness. Even if they improve, this giving them the grade that they deserve.

“A student who works hard enough to accomplishment would be unimportant get an A should get an A. It doesn’t make unless they manage to exceed the sense for it to be otherwise,” sophomore performance of others. On the other hand, Joshua Yu stated. Students who do well the people at the top are pressured to consistently on quizzes and assignments continue this streak, which would snowball but fall a few percentage points behind into more stress and anxiety.

This disadvantage also leads to an other top scorers would be at an unfair increased amount of competition among disadvantage in such a system. students. “In a high achieving class, grading Learning is on a curve is less realistic,” personal, and if only Ms. Lin stated. If a certain percentage everyone is capable of people can of succeeding in a get an A, class, fighting to the learning earn a good grade experience would pressure is no longer students into an opportunity GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN YEH unnecessary to improve yourself rivalries. but rather a competition among peers. By In this case, the competition forcing students to compete against each other, grades increase the tension between between students is not healthy and would not promote a higher rate of learning. students.

High school is an opportunity to According to the Institute of Educational receive a broad education. This means that Sciences, competitive environments in a students strive to succeed in a variety of classroom environment does not increase subjects. A student should not be punished student performance or improve curricular for trying new things and expanding their retention. By making grades a competition, academic stess is intensified. horizons.

Opponents say that grading on a In addition, the size of high school classes makes curved grades unreasonable. curve is more realistic and would give “Curved grades wouldn’t reflect the students an experience more similar to the students’ actual abilities. I don’t think real world. There is some validity in that many high school classes are big enough statement, but the emotional well-being of for a normal distribution to really apply,” a student should not be sacrificed for the RM alumna and University of Maryland sake of throwing them into the deep end, and the increased stress would negatively student Jessica Kang stated.

Most high school classes would not change the environment of RM. In conclusion, grading on a curve offers work with a bell curve model. With writing assignments, for example, the difference unique advantages, but are marked with between an A- and a B+ paper is not as clear glaring flaws which would negatively cut as assignments in STEM classes, which impact the well-being of RM students and high schoolers in general. can be graded on an objective level.

As English teacher Michael Oakes said, “Grading on a curve could only really work on a case-by-case basis,” science “Students should be graded on their own performance in school, not in comparison teacher Katherine Lin said.

Ms. Lin added, “I think that it would to their classmates.” Curving should be impact students negatively as most other restricted to the baseball field.

8 The Tide

OPINIONS

March 2017

Trump’s travel ban perpetuates religious hatred IMMIGRATION, cont. from page 1 administration to approve certain preselected people.

Lastly, Trump’s order failed to include one of his longtime campaign promises to create “safe zones” in Syria. Through this immigration ban, Trump shows a worrying lack of integrity and a careless lack of attention to detail.

When the first immigration ban was passed, thousands flocked to the streets and airports in protest. After serious backlash and several skirmishes with the judicial branch, President Trump was ultimately forced to withdraw his first act and rewrite it.

I am not a Muslim nor a Syrian, nor have I lived in the countries identified in the ban. However, I believe in the American ideal of judging people by the strength of their character. It is diversity that makes America so resilient. Banning immigrants will not just be harmful now—it will impact the way our nation will appear to the world for decades.

I fully understand the need of the president to protect all citizens from international threats, and I fully support fair and nondiscriminatory ways of going after dangerous people that could harm our country. However, we should not do things that alienate a group of people simply because of their religion or where they come from.

Take, for example, the Oklahoma City bomber, a New Yorker who leveled half

a city block and killed over a hundred people. Imagine then, that in response to the attack, we put a travel ban on New York under the assumption that all New Yorkers could be terrorists and killers.

It is fair to say that many people would be outraged at such a sweeping generalization, so why should we allow the president to do something so similar?

On March 6, President Trump rolled out a new plan that could be as harmful to innocent people as the previous one.According to news releases from the White House, the n e w version of the ban will also halt refugee admissions for 120 days.

With regards to changes, the

Trump’s departure from his first bill only serves to illustrate how hastily crafted the first ban was. And although these changes represent a slight shift t o wa r d s perhaps a more

GRAPHIC BY ALISA GAO

new legislation entirely removes the ban on Syrian refugees and the restrictions placed on current green-card and visa holders. The bill also removes Iraq from the list of banned countries in recognition of their contributions in the war against terrorism.

comprehensive piece of legislation, there still exists severe issues surounding the overall regard of the Trump administration towards Muslims.

Through his distasteful actions and words, President Trump has managed to paint a dangerous picture of all Muslims and people from the Middle East—one which portrays them as zealots who intend to hurt Americans and impose Islam upon

the Western world.

What President Trump does not acknowledge is that the majority of Muslims in this country are like every other citizen. They have the same responsibilities and everyday struggles: do they not deserve equal rights?

Now that the new ban has been put into effect, we are left with the question—what is the next step?

People throughout the nation are calling for unification to ensure that the expression “with liberty and justice for all” remains true for our generation and those that come after us.

Ultimately, the only way we can overcome this tragedy is by discouraging not only Islamophobia, but discrimination against people as a whole. We should treat everyone as individuals rather than make broad generalizations.

We need to encourage non-Muslims to talk to members of the Muslim community and learn what Islam is truly about—peace and helping others.

It is vital that we educate others people about the fears that prey on many Americans who support Trump.

The terrorists who are committing these tragedies are not representative of everyday Muslims, but instead make up a small and radical minority.

Lastly, we as a people need to remember that no one should be left without a voice and falsely portrayed based on factors such as their faith, appearance, culture and nationality.

Celebrities roll out red carpet for political discussion

by Laura Chang We all remember the Steve Harvey-esque mix-up at the Oscars this year, when La La Land was awarded Best Picture only to have the title given to the cast of Moonlight.

Although that fiasco was certainly memorable, perhaps more significant was the large number of political statements that celebrities made during the Oscars as well as other awards ceremonies.

Earlier this year, Meryl Streep slammed Trump in her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. Joy Villa sparked controversy when she showed up to the Grammys red carpet in a “Make America Great Again” dress. Stars like Ruth Negga,

“Without political statements, the show would just be a long parade of fashion and movies.”

- Emma Sprague Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karlie Kloss sported blue ribbons at the Oscars in silent solidarity with the American Civil Liberties Union.

Later that night, Jimmy Kimmel took a shot at president Donald Trump in his opening monologue. Several other celebrities piled on, throwing extra shade at Trump’s policies while accepting their awards. This recent spike in celebrity political statements has opened the debate on whether celebrities should express their political beliefs at awards shows.

Celebrities have the constitutional right to voice their viewpoints just like anybody else. As sophomore Russell Corbin pointed out, “They are citizens of this country, and they have the freedom of speech.”

The First Amendment of the Constitution actually prioritizes the protection of political speech above all other forms of individual expression, so to inhibit a celebrity’s ability to make political statements would be a dangerous infringement of their rights.

If political censorship was enforced at awards shows, it would be difficult to determine what actually constitutes a political statement. Since the majority of celebrities tend to be liberal, censoring them might seem like a move to eliminate dissent, especially after Trump’s Twitter tirades against the celebrities in question.

Sophomore Talia Feshbach observed, “To censor people at awards shows seems a bit over the top to me.” For many, the word “censorship” sets off an alarm, as it does not stray far from darker words like “oppression” and “authoritarianism.”

Although there is no question that celebrities have the freedom of expression, many believe that awards shows are simply not the place for politics. Since our country is more polarized now than ever, any celebrity political statement, regardless of where it lands on the political spectrum, will inevitably alienate some audience members. Bringing up politics could create discomfort and aggravate the atmosphere.

Junior Melvin Lewis explained, “If celebrities try to turn their award or an awards night too political, that might be in poor taste, but I don’t support restricting their freedom of speech.”

Lewis was less opposed to celebrities using social media and their own private events as an outlet for their beliefs. “I think it’s generally a bad idea to mention something that’s going to divide a lot of people at an event where people are supposed to be together,” he elaborated.

Others also argue that politics detract from the original purpose of awards shows, which is to simply celebrate talent and honor the work of deserving artists.

Lewis found that it was appropriate and relevant when Leonardo DiCaprio discussed climate change during his acceptance speech at the Oscars last year, as his movie The Revenant relates to the issue. However, Lewis said, “For someone to go off the rails and say something totally unrelated to whatever’s going on in the awards show can be inappropriate.”

While some believe that politics takes away from awards shows, others feel the exact opposite: that celebrity political statements add substance to the superficiality of such ceremonies. Social studies teacher Noah Grosfeld-Katz argued, “If the purpose of the awards show is to administer the awards, then political statements seem out of place.

That being said, these award shows are

watched by millions of people, and I think just handing out awards is not that entertaining or enlightening.”

Freshman Emma Sprague agreed with Mr. G-K’s standpoint: “Without political statements, the show would just be a long parade of fashion and movies.”

While some viewers may dismiss any statements that go against their personal beliefs, the diverse views that celebrities bring to the table can open up the minds of the audience. Sprague explained, “Political statements by actors impact the audience by inspiring those watching to either think about things a different way or spur them into action.”

Lewis also acknowledged, “A lot of people live in a bubble where they’re surrounded by people of the same political beliefs, so just to be exposed to different beliefs and the way other people think is always a good thing.”

Once again, whether or not celebrities can influence the audience is debatable.

Sophomore Fatma Elsayed described it as “preaching to the choir,” as more closeminded viewers often justify their beliefs with the words of celebrities and reject the phrases that are against their personal views. She noted, “For some, if they don’t like that artist, it strengthens just why they don’t have that opinion.”

When asked how celebrities impact those watching, senior Alisa Yan responded, “A lot of it will only affect

people who are moderate or are wavering on an issue, which isn’t unique to Hollywood. If someone already has an opinion, it’s not like an actor saying, ‘Hey, you should change your opinion,’ is going to change their opinion.”

Regardless, the impact of these statements can vary from person to person:.

As History teacher Lisa MacFarlane said: “I make my own opinions based on what I read and what I see on the news. It depends on the person. Some people are very easily swayed by what celebrities say, and other people take it for what it is.”

Some politically active celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, who produced a documentary film on climate change titled Before the Flood, and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, can bring their personal experiences and insight to the table. Whether viewers tune in to hear what celebrities have to say or go deaf once celebrities start mentioning politics is up to them and their own preferences.

Regardless of how we feel about Hollywood political drama, it is here to stay. As Yan asserted, “Hollywood is inherently political because everything that Hollywood does is affected by politics and affects politics. There’s no limit, and there should be no limit.”

So the next time you turn on the television to catch up with the celebrities or visit a celebrity’s Twitter page, be prepared to also get a healthy dose of politics too.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

The Tide

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March 2017

9

10 The Tide

INTERNATIONAL

March 2017

Omens and superstitions: traditions from paranoia

by Clare Zhang People like to believe that they have an active role in determining their fate. But when events are undeniably out of our control, the issue of luck comes into play.

Luck is the perceived success or failure brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions, and has been questioned and defended for as long as it has existed.

However, this has not stopped nearly every culture from developing their own lucky symbols and superstitions.

“When things happen, it is because you have found yourself in the right place at the right time. The way that your future develops, luck has a lot to do with it,” said Spanish teacher Nilma Martin Antonetti.

Her beliefs about luck, which come from her Puerto Rican background, are reflected in her day to day thoughts and actions.

There are many symbols of luck that are universal, such as the four-leaf clover and making a wish at 11:11, but others can be extremely culture-specific. For freshman Katie Zhang, who is of Chinese heritage, some lucky symbols are based on the language and the pronunciations of various characters.

“Chinese people tend to like the number eight, because the pronunciation of eight rhymes with the pronunciation of wealth or becoming rich,” said Zhang. “A lot of my relatives tend to use eight in stuff like passwords.”

In Puerto Rico, luck can also be influenced by your socioeconomic status.

“There is a large population of low-income people, and I really believe that lower income people depend a lot on luck,” said Ms. Martin Antonetti. “Luck is like a

synonym for money. That’s the way I see it, and that’s the way culture sees it.”

Puerto Ricans also have many other ways they believe you can acquire luck. “People put stuff in the doors. If your hands are itching, that’s a good day for you to go and play numbers. They believe in the dreams too, or numbers. They bathe themselves with different flowers and plants for luck. It’s like a subculture, a religion, to do that, in order for them

to get more luck, “ said Ms. Martin Antonetti.

In Sweden, the Midsummer Festival is an ancient pre-Christian holiday that celebrates the arrival of the summer solstice.

Senior Julia Ostlund, who is of Swedish descent, described a superstition commonly associated with the celebration. “One of the folklores is that if a girl puts flowers underneath her pillow the night of the Midsummer’s Festivals, she’ll dream of the man she’s going to marry,” said Ostlund.

There are also various beliefs regarding luck that are come to cultural prominence due to religion and folk tales, like the association of spilled salt with themes of lies and sin.

According to the superstition, the bad luck brought about by spilling salt can be prevented by throwing a pinch of the salt over your left shoulder, which is said to blind the devil waiting there. “If I’m

cooking and I spill some salt, I go and throw it over my shoulder right away,” said Ms. Martin Antonetti. Cameroonian traditions also dictate actions that can bring you bad luck.

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

“If someone’s lying down you can’t walk over their legs, because if you do, that person won’t grow anymore,” explained junior Nelson Zeufak.

Oftentimes, one’s faith in luck and superstitions can be lost over the course of generations.

“My grandparents and older relatives seem to have a lot of superstitions, but they’re not really passed down to us or our generation,” said freshman Katie Zhang.

“As you get older, the more they depend on luck and on gambling,” Martin pointed out as well.

However, it seems to be level and depth of connection to the culture that is the main factor in whether someone believes in the superstitions of their own background.

“I’m from Puerto Rico, born and raised there, and I went to school there,” said Martin. Regarding superstitions, she said, “They’re so incorporated into the culture

that you cannot move away from them.”

On the other hand, while Zhang does not believe in the superstitions present in her Chinese culture, she has seen how they impact her life and the people around her.

“I don’t live in China, so I’m not very fully immersed in the culture, but I learned that it’s taboo to buy someone a clock in China, because it’s seen as being connected to death. But I didn’t know that, so once I bought a really pretty clock to give to someone. Luckily, I showed it to my mom before giving it and she made me get a new gift.”

And even if people do not believe in their culture’s superstitions, they develop their own beliefs over the course of their lifetime based on their personal experiences. “ One time at the zoo I found a huge peacock feather, and then afterwards a peacock walked up to me and followed me, and it was great,” Zhang shared. “So finding feathers is lucky for me.”

Ironically enough, peacock feathers commonly represent bad luck, as the eyes on the feathers are thought to be similar to the evil eye.

Performers do not allow peacock feathers into their performance venues, and peacock feathers at weddings symbolize bad omens and death.

However, personal experiences often outweigh general beliefs, and so personal superstitions that contradict popular ones are not uncommon.

Understanding different beliefs and superstitions provides an entirely new lens through which you can view a culture and its people.

But as times evolve, so do the kinds of superstitions that are held in common belief, and the extent to which people hold them to be true.

Exams plague students from U.S. to France to China

by Robyn Fohouo While educational systems may vary, it has become a universally accepted fact that students must take an abundance of examinations throughout their school career. Through examining the ways in which college readiness tests are administered around the world, the cultural significance of education becomes readily apparent.

In 2015, a record 1.7 million American students took the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). The SAT consists of the

“It’s a very stressful day for students, you know, especially the first time they take it they don’t know what to expect. A lot of schools believe that your GPA is a much better indicator of the type of student you are,” Ms. Hull said.

She estimates that anywhere between 550 and 600 students at RM take the SAT annually. As the site supervisor for SAT testing at Rockville, Ms. Hull has observed that rules are getting stricter in order to ensure academic honesty, with specific guidelines on testing materials and technology.

Additionally, Richard Montgomery is home to the International Baccalaureate

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA JI

For many students, exams signify the end of secondary school and entry into adulthood following three major sections: Writing, Program, in which juniors and seniors Critical Reading, and Mathematics. The must take several IB exams in order to get writing portion includes a brief essay and their IB diploma. several multiple choice questions, while In recent years, the number of students critical reading encompasses 52 multiple taking the American College Testing (ACT) choice questions paired with readings or has increased, with 2,090,342 taking the sentences, and mathematics is divided into ACT in 2016. This test is divided into 6 calculator and non-calculator sections. parts: English, Mathematics, Reading, College and Career Information Writing, Science and STEM. In RM’s Class Coordinator Mary Hull feels as though too of 2016, 147 students took the ACT and the much money is spent on tests and test prep. resulting average was 27.

Aside from the SAT and ACT, Americans are spending more time and money on tests like the PSAT, SAT II subject tests, and Advanced Placement tests. In a world where colleges are getting increasingly expensive, students have been working harder to get good test scores in hopes of achieving a scholarship.

This competitive mindset, however, places far too much importance on scores.

“I took the old SAT...it was pretty horrible.

I studied for a few weeks before. I was constantly studying for it but, I mean, it’s always good to be prepared in the end. It helped. I think the stress got me through it,” Senior Isobel Coats said.

France, like the United States, values good student performance, especially when it comes to examinations. French education is compulsory from the ages of six and sixteen, and when students become 17 they are in the third and final level of their high school career, known as “Terminale”.

At this time, students begin to work towards achieving the “Baccalauréat” (le bac), which is the qualification to enter a university at 18 years of age. Students have three series to choose from: Literary studies, Economic and Social studies, or Sciences. The Science Bac is oftentimes considered the most difficult to pass.

During these final two years before college, students typically add a series of practice tests to their regular studies, similar to how a student may take the PSAT in order to prepare for the SAT. In France, passing a series test requires getting a 10 out of 20 on the exam. Those who get an 8 out of 20 or lower must retake the class. Nowadays, many complain that the testing level has decreased and that this is why many students fail their first year of university. French teacher Monsieur Giblin agrees wholeheartedly with this sentiment.

“The French system is changing. It used to be very elitist and not everybody graduated

from high school. You would only graduate from high school if you really wanted to go to a university and it was very selective.

Nowadays there’s more and more people that are graduating, so they’ve lowered their standards a bit,” he said.

Unlike France, China has maintained the quality of their testing. At 18 years of age, students are required to take the National Higher Education Entrance Examination in order to go to college. This Examination is also called the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), and is commonly referred to by students as the Gaokao (高 考) in China.

Entry to a university depends primarily on how well a student performs on this test. Sometimes, students with outstanding academic performance in their secondary school will be granted an exemption from the NCEE and automatically attend the university of their choice.

The process of college examination exemption is called Baosong (保送).

The closest thing in the American school system to this method is getting a free ride to college. In Chinese teacher Margaret Poo’s eyes, the main difference between the American and Chinese education systems is the amount of time taken to build a foundation of learning.

“Chinese education builds up student’s foundations when they are young so that at the older, high school or college level, they do more extracurriculars,” Ms. Poo reflected.

While approaches may differ, the current systems of China, the United States, and France highlight the importance education has in the success of a person’s life, whether that be getting into college or years beyond. Education is the driving force behind civilization, and this concept has manifested itself into the vast array of college-readiness examinations today’s students must tackle.

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March 2017

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Surviving the test-fest The March Crossword Test out your memory skills with a puzzle about this month’s issue!

by Hallie Kay As many of you already know, Advanced Placement (AP) testing season is slowly but surely encroaching upon us here at RM. As a senior, I have been through, or rather survived, two AP testing seasons. I took one AP test my sophomore year, and then decided to take four the next year. Seems logical, right?

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL LI

Students can add fun twists to their notes.

I, however, am a professional procrastinator. “Why should I be taking advice on productivity from a selfproclaimed procrastinator?” you ask yourself? Well, after taking five AP tests, surviving over three years of high school, and getting into college, I have learned some methods proven to work. One could even say that I am just a bit wiser for it. This is for all of those sophomores, juniors, and seniors gearing up for this testing season.

This is also for all of those freshmen who wish to get the ball rolling before their AP testing seasons begin.

In this day and age, human beings are tempted so heavily by the looming presence of technology. Even if you use the classic 5 Steps To A 5, Barron’s, or Crashcourse

books as your study aids, your computer or tablet will always hold a special place in your heart. My recommendation to best eliminate the chance of going online and getting distracted is to seclude yourself.

Whether it be on your porch, a breakfast nook, a comfy couch, or even the Rockville Public Library, there will always be a quiet place to get your study session going.

If you’re anything like me, you may like to give yourself time slots for studying and goofing off. The funny thing about time is that there never seems to be enough of it. Unfortunately, when there is, I manage to find curiously creative ways to waste it. Recently, I have discovered a method I would swear by.

It may sound crazy, but you can make more time. Clocks are everywhere.

Whether your favorite clock is found on a wall, the screen of a portable device, a glowing microwave panel, or in your car – they can all be reset. I now set all of my clocks ahead by five to seven minutes. I am not sure why, but ten minutes just seemed a bit too excessive for me personally.

By setting my car and phone clock ahead by a few minutes, I am able to get more done. The idea here is to create the illusion that you have more time, but really you are just beginning earlier. This is one of the best ways to fool yourself.

Music is another key component in the success of the testing season. My suggestion is to keep it light, with some gentle classical melodies or jazz. Now, if you hate both classical and jazz music, you can really play any sort of music, as long as it is strictly instrumental and played at a low volume. I have found that softly played music is great way to calm any pretest jitters and study anxiety.

Contrary to what you may have heard, breaks are necessary for success. The key is to be active, but without using your phone. Go for a walk, grab a quick snack, or drink some water. You should not exhaust yourself by working non-stop for hours on end. A five minute break here and there can

ACROSS 1. A pageant winner who has a passion for traveling and languages 4. A grading technique that incites controversy between students and teachers 6. A fashion faux pas that is making its way back 8. This extracurricular requires a stick 9. He will soon be receiving a well-deserved makeover 11. The soundtrack of this movie was composed by a famous Hamilton star 13. A fun alternative to the beach 14. A sign of scholastic prowess 15. A pastime enjoyed by an economics and statistics teacher

be super revitalizing and calming.

The number one thing to keep in mind here is to know yourself. Stay honest as well. In order to be successful in this endeavor, you must know your strengths and your weaknesses. I discovered the need for my own transformation by realizing what my strengths and weaknesses were.

I knew that being on my computer leaves any opportunity for avid Tumblr scrolling and solo Spotify jam sessions wide open. At the very top of the list of my weaknesses was my fear of getting started.

This is an absolutely acceptable fear to have. Everyone has it in one form or another. Starting a new project is always the most frightening part. But once you get started, your initiative will carry you for a long time. Creativity and productivity, like

DOWN 2. It will be on April 2nd 3. A foodie twist on a 1970’s crisis 5. A second time SMOB candidate 7. The policy that may soon be enforced for teenage drivers 10. An event the SGA intends to bring to the RM community 12. The final examination for Chinese students who hope to attend a good college

anything else, just need a little nudge to start working.

For everyone who may be taking IB tests, the SAT or the ACT, or anything else that requires time and dedication, feel free to take this advice. I have found that these tips have helped me through the many trials and tribulations I have encountered throughout my high school career.

In the end, it comes down to your determination to succeed and willpower during this time of the year. Remain calm, and do not panic. Use these tips and stay confident. You can do this. Take it from me, the self-proclaimed procrastinator who somehow beat the odds and overcame the great delaying powers of the universe. You too can do the same, if you put in that 100 percent that you know you have.

The harrowing experience of going technology free

by Kaylen Pak If you are reading this, there is a near 100% chance that you have used some sort of electronics in the past 24 hours. Whether it be computers, phones, or tablets, we are all surrounded by a vast amount of machines that we often take for granted.

“Technology is really taking over,” sophomore Isaiah Matthews observed. “I would say I use my phone nearly all day.”

But what if you could not access any of these devices?

On Saturday, I went a full day without technology, also known as an “e-fast”.

Since it was not a school day and I had Sunday to finish my homework, I thought that the task would be relatively easy.

I could occupy myself with reading, walking, cleaning, and other productive, non-electronic activities throughout the day. No problem.

I decided to start at midnight, ditching my phone at 11:59 pm, Friday and shutting it down. Although the regulations for this e-fast said that calling/texting was allowed, I knew that the chances of someone calling was very low (my embarrassingly sparse contacts staring me in the face), and I wanted the full on zero-technology experience.

When I woke up the next morning, I instinctively reached for the device to check the time before realizing that I needed to actually walk downstairs to check the mechanical clock hanging on the kitchen wall. So I did, the clock reading 8:34 a.m. I spent the next hour waking up my siblings, eating breakfast, and getting

ready for my day.

Usually, I would spend another hour of the morning browsing Instagram and/or Tumblr, but seeing as I could not do that, I instead caught up on my farbehind reading schedule of Frankenstein.

However, there is only so much of a thrilling literary classic that my morning brain could take, and after a numb hour and a half, I set the book down.

By the time noon rolled around, I was already half-dead. I had read all of my books before, my hand was cramping from drawing, it was way too cold to step foot outside, and I was not in the mood for chores. But, when dying from boredom, even laundry began to look appealing.

However, even after laundry, it was not even five o’ clock yet. Like a zombie, I roamed around my house, tried and failed to read Frankenstein again, and eventually gave up on finding something to do and laid down in my bed waiting for the time to pass. After dinner I went down every five minutes to check on the clock to see if any time passed. At 10:53, I nearly cried because the end was so close, but so far.

There was no way that I would give up now.

As soon as I saw the clock downstairs reading 12:04, I bolted back to my room and yanked the phone out of its charger, nearly sobbing in joy as I scrolled through my familiar Instagram notifications and news updates. I was like a starving bear bolting for its first fish after a long hibernation.

After those 24 hours, I spent some time reflecting on my pitiful, technologyaddicted self. It did not even take a quarter of the day for me to become bored and

completely useless without my phone or the Internet. I could not do my homework, browse social media, watch stupid videos, play music, or anything else that usually takes up the majority of my weekends.

With all of the Internet and technology that we use every day, it is difficult to imagine living without it. Yet, in countries such as Congo, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, less than five percent of the total population has access to the Internet.

“For places that don’t have access to the internet, it’s very unfortunate for them because it’s still very useful in terms of education and building knowledge and connecting with others,” Freshman Valerie Wang said.

For example, in other countries such as Cuba and North Korea, the Internet is highly censored to wipe out criticism against the government, contrasting the United State’s freely running Internet.

Some people even resort to the black market to find a link to the outside world.

“I actually agree with some of the foreign policies concerning Internet restriction because some websites can be really inappropriate,” freshman Edward Rizkalla noted.

“It’s really important to value the exposure of information that we can have,” Junior Liza Brover comments, “But at the same time, I think that the amount of media consumption that we get is not as beneficial in terms of developing generations because it strays from the information that people should be getting.”

Although technology has many benefits, there are times in which we need to take breaks from it as well.

“America uses technology almost every

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

single day. What they need to do realize is the significance of life and what it brings to them,” Rizkalla commented.

“It would really be beneficial to do an e-fast because then people would start to realize and see how much they rely on technology,” Wang said. “Maybe they would look at their own lives and make a change for the better.”

Even though it was very painful, I found the e-fast to be very eye-opening as to how much I depend on devices throughout my day, from homework to entertainment. Even though technology is firmly ingrained in our modern society, it is still important to not take for granted the resources that some people can only hope to have.

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CENTERSPREAD

The Tide

March 2017

“The Possibilities” Kern Lee

“When you wish upon a star” Delia Chen

CENTERSPREAD

The Tide

March 2017

13

“Boundless Joy” Valerie Downing

“Snacking and People Watching” Ferhana Hassan

/‘rev(ə)rē/ noun a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream.

“Two Face” Pin-Hsuan Wu

“Safe Space” Vivian Chiao

“Mechameleon” Peter Mnev

“Eye am here” Kaila Wallace ARTICLE BY CHRISTINE ZHU PHOTOS COURTESY OF RM ART DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND COURTESY OF FERHANA HASSAN

Friends and family are welcome to enjoy food, live music, and enchanting senior class artwork on Sunday, April 2, 2017 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Held at Richard Montgomery

RM’s annual art show, which will take place on April 2, displays the work of seniors in the AP and IB art classes. This year the show is constructed around the theme: “Reverie”— a state of daydreaming.

This year’s senior art students collaboratively developed this theme, drawing inspiration from how getting lost in their thoughts fosters their creativity.

The students collaborated on every aspect of the show, from the invitations to the art itself. “[The students] really put a lot of heart and soul into it, so you can see that in the quality of the work as well as the whole event in general,” art teacher Katherine Stanton said.

Aside from preparing for the showcase, AP students also had to focus on fulfilling their individual AP requirements. One of the main requirements entails that the student develop a specific concentration, or theme, for their art.

Senior Sam Pierce is one of the AP art students whose work is being showcased on April 2. For the show, she selected her best works that demonstrated both style and skill. To fulfill her AP requirement, Pierce settled on the theme of human figure and emotion, with all her work reflecting this theme.

Senior Pin-Hsuan Wu, another featured student artist, chose loyalty as her theme, specifically focusing on animals and their

relationships with owners. Her art reflects these aspects of loyalty through color, detail, and style.

For Wu, the most challenging part of preparing for the show was the amount of dedication that the show demanded from art students. The show required a large time commitment, organization, collaboration and copious amounts of effort.

Similarly, Pierce found it difficult to stick to a set schedule. “I’m pretty bad about forcing myself to paint when I’m not feeling it or stopping when I’m on a roll,” Pierce said. “I once painted 5 different pieces in one night and pulled an all nighter because I just had a feeling of creativity filling me up. One of my favorite pieces is actually one I did that night!”

However, the students believe that despite the strenuous demands, the reward of seeing your work on display makes it all worth it.

“To take in all our accomplishments as an entire team full of IB and AP students is a huge success,” Wu reflected. “We’re getting along with each other when it comes to deciding on a certain design or theme ideas.”

Pierce also appreciated the sense of family that has formed between all the students. “Seeing myself grow as an artist and seeing my friends grow and have their work rewarded and showcased is

thrilling,” she said.

As their art teacher and mentor, Mrs. Stanton expressed the pride she feels when she sees the success her students have with their artwork. “They really put a lot of heart and soul into it, so you can see that in the quality of the work as well as the whole event in general,” she said.

The seniors hope to attract a large and diverse audience that will appreciate not only the art, but the soul and heart that the artists have poured into the show.

“Mostly I see student art tossed on tables and carried around and shoved in between desks during class, so seeing it valued and put up and displayed in a thoughtful way will be so thrilling for me,” Pierce explained.

Make sure to check out the art show, which is full of imaginative pieces created by very own student artists. In the words of Pierce, “It’s going to feel like magic.”

AP/IB SENIOR ART SHOW

“Seeing my friends grow and have their work showcased is thrilling.”

- Sam Pierce

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The Tide

LA MAREA

Marzo del 2017

Rol del héroe: Lin-Manuel Miranda inspira toda una nueva generación de jóvenes y artistas latinos por Denisse Cerda y Angel Ramos Recientemente, se dio la octogésimo novena edición de los premios Óscar en el teatro Dolby en Los Angeles, California.

A pesar del ambiente lleno de emoción y alegría, se pudo sentir la ausencia de una comunidad que ha contribuido tremendamente a la sociedad americana, la latina.

El puertorriqueño Lin-Manuel Miranda fue nominado en la categoría mejor canción por “How Far I’ll Go” de la animación “Moana”. Aunque el premio se dirigió a la canción “City of Stars” en “La La Land,” hecho por Damien Chazelle, la comunidad latina no se olvida de los premios Miranda ganó para ella.

Actor, compositor, dramaturgo, productor, y rapero, el arte es el dominio de Miranda. Más conocido por escribir y tener el papel principal en el galardonado musical de Broadway, “Hamilton”, Miranda hizo camino para minorías en el teatro, dedicando papeles a gente de diferentes razas para contar una historia estadounidense.

Miranda y su padre, Luis, han abogado por los derechos de inmigrantes desde que Lin-Manuel era un niño. Las experiencias de Miranda con inmigración

han inspirado sus musicales “In the La realidad es que hay una escasez de Heights” y “Hamilton,” ambos de papeles escritos para latinos. Solo los cuales cuentan historias de otro latino, Rodrigo Prieto fue inmigrantes. nominado este marzo.

A lo largo de su carrera, Alex Turner, una estudiante Miranda ha ganado muchos del undécimo grado, diretora premios, incluyendo técnica y miembro del consejo Grammys, Tonys, un ejecutivo de drama expresó su Emmy, y solo le faltaba un incomodidad en tener pocas Oscar para completar su minorías en el programa título EGOT. teatral.

“Yo creo que Los estudiantes que lamentablemente las minorías participan en el programa no están representadas de drama Black Maskers en drama, muchos de los en Richard Montgomery no shows son dirigidas a gente son extraños a las obras de blanca, y sería muy bueno Miranda.

Muchos saben tener diversidad porque así todas las líricas de Hamilton, muchos pueden traer sus fanáticos que son más intensos propias ideas.”

GRÁFICO POR KERN LEE hasta se dedicaron a aprender Dani Brigatti, una alumna español para cantar unas de las canciones del grado décimo y miembra de los Black de ‘In the Heights’ otro musical hecho por Maskers, cuenta que su sueño es hacer Miranda sobre los latinos en Washington una obra enfocada en la comunidad latina Heights, Nueva York. como “In the Heights” o “West Side Story.”

A pesar de la influencia Miranda tiene Brigatti dijo, “Cada vez que lo [sugiero], sobre jóvenes de esta generación, el las personas me recuerdan que no hay impacto que ha hecho sobre los jóvenes suficientes latinos en el programa de latinos es más profundo. El estudiante drama … para hacer un musical que trate de décimo grado Nicolas Leiva aprecia de personas Latinas.” las obras “Hamilton” y “In the Heights” De igual manera otros participantes porque avanzan la integración de papeles como Jennifer Flores, estudiante del de latinos. “Finalmente alguien ha hecho duodécimo grado y miembra del consejo un papel que yo puedo hacer ,” el añadió. ejecutivo de drama, piensa que los latinos

no están representados de igual manera que otros grupos. Hay más papeles blancos que latinos Flores cuenta. Ella sugiere que “una vez que los papeles para los actores, son distribuidos a un grupo diverso, las barreras para los latinos disminuirá aún más, esperemos que sea así.”

Después de una gran falta de representación, el actor y compositor LinManuel Miranda trae mucha esperanza para los latinos en el teatro.

“Nunca me di cuenta cuan importante es tener alguien que se parezca a ti o que venga de la misma cultura ,” Flores cuenta sobre Lin-Manuel quien es puertorriqueño igual como ella. “ No es algo que sabías que querías hasta que lo obtienes.”

Detrás del escenario, el campo técnico tampoco representa a los latinos. “A mi me fascina la tecnología detrás del teatro,” dice Turner sobre su experiencia en el programa de drama, “pero en los equipos técnicos, desgraciadamente no hay minorías,” y esto habla mucho sobre el estímulo en la comunidad latina por participar en estas actividades.

Es importante aprender sobre las diversas culturas que existen en este país. Muchos actores latinos como Lin Manuel Miranda están esperanzados que la situación cambiará gradualmente. Muchos como él tienen un sueño, un sueño de diversidad, un sueño de cambio, un sueño latino.

Los inmigrantes latinos La Casa Blanca crea un prosperan con orgullo pánico entre muchos

horas de continuo trabajo.

Y son historias como estas, historias por Lisa Hernandez de latinos tan tenaces y luchadores como la señora Fuentes, que ilustran la Por muchos años ya, la labor manual de realidad de estos obreros. Ellos son más los latinos ha sido objeto de un estigma que una estadística o un estereotipo. negativo. Los programas de televisión han Los inmigrantes como la señora Fuentes creado una caricatura de estos héroes poco son trabajadores como cualquier otro y reconocidos en los Estados Unidos– los su profesión merece tanto respeto como obreros latinos. La representación de ellos cualquier otra profesión.

Especialmente con el clima político es a menudo discriminante y ha avivado de hoy en día, muchos acusan a los estereotipos ofensivos.

La realidad de la situación es que, sí, inmigrantes latinos de robo. Mantienen muchos latinos ocupan puestos de trabajo que los inmigrantes roban los empleos que en la construcción, la limpieza, o en la les pertenecen a los norteamericanos. La industria de comida rápida, pero esto no es señora Fuentes explicó, “Ellos no pueden un hecho del cual deben estar avergonzados. ver la discriminación en sus palabras.

A medida que los latinos nos hacemos Nadie me regala mi trabajo; No estamos más conscientes de nuestra contribución, robando trabajos, al contrario, nosotros mejor entendemos la hipocresía de esta como hispanos aportamos a este país.”

La señora Fuentes, quien en su tiempo estigmatización, no se puede exigir un servicio del cual uno se beneficia mientras libre disfruta salir con sus hijos y planear a la misma vez deshonramos a aquellos vacaciones familiares durante el verano, resume perfectamente el espíritu de los que lo proveen.

Muchas veces la labor árdua de estos inmigrantes latinos quienes emigran y latinos no es reconocida y tratada con el hacen lo que sea para salir adelante. Su respeto que merece. La señora Fuentes, un determinación de seguir luchando para miembro del personal de mantenimiento darle a sus hijos el futuro que ella no tuvo en Richard Montgomery declaró, “A veces es a la vez altruista e inspirador. Como ella misma dijo, “Uno hace cualquier trabajo por muy buen trabajo por el bienestar de que una haga, aún su familia; Yo desde hay personas que no que vine, vine a lo respetan.” A pesar trabajar día y noche. de esto, ella señaló, Me dedique a trabajar, “Acá en este trabajo me pero no me arrepiento siento bien. Aquí todo el porque ahora mis hijos personal y los alumnos están saliendo adelante.” son muy respetuosos y A pesar de que esta es eso me hace sentir bien.” solamente una historia, La señora Fuentes, una una sola experiencia, las inmigrante salvadoreña, implicaciones en ella son ha sido parte de la claras. El dedicar tanta comunidad de RM por 9 energía para cumplir con años. Su historia es una estas responsabilidades de inspiración, ya que muestra una fuerza de cada día ella armoniza carácter de la cual el país trabajo y familia. Para ella, el día empieza con el GRÁFICO POR KERN LEE podría aprender.

Como la señora Fuentes concluyó, “Son amanecer a las 6 de la mañana cuando se levanta para cuidar de sus hijos trabajos muy duros que nosotros los latinos antes de llevarlos a sus diferentes escuelas. nos animamos a hacer para sacar a nuestros Su día de trabajo comienza a las 9am y no hijos adelante y todo trabajo, con tal que termina hasta las 6 de la tarde después 9 sea honrado, es un trabajo digno.”

por Jean Espinosa La comunidad latina fue sacudida por dos órdenes ejecutivas introducidas el 9 de febrero por el Presidente Donald Trump.

La furia de millones de norteamericanos se sintió a través de las redes sociales, condenando estas órdenes como actos racistas.

Las dos órdenes son un atento para combatir el crimen organizado y reducir migración ilegal. Aunque las órdenes sean parte de la agenda de Trump que busca incrementar la seguridad nacional, el público piensa lo opuesto.

Esto no es sorprendente ya que Trump desde el inicio de su campaña presidencial creó polémica con sus comentarios insultando a los mexicanos, llamándolos violadores, ladrones y narcotraficantes, y pintándolos como la causa principal de muchos problemas de los Estados Unidos.

Las nuevas órdenes ejecutivas tienen dos elementos que les da mucho p o d e r a agentes de inmigración para parar y deportar a muchos inmigrantes indocumentados.

La orden termina el protocolo de atrapar y liberar, que les daba a los inmigrantes oportunidades de quedarse legalmente en Estados Unidos. Ademas, la fuerza de la institution de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas, aumentó con la adición de más agentes y la debilitación de programas que respaldan inmigrantes.

Los estudiantes inmigrantes de Richard Montgomery fueron extremadamente afectados por estas regulaciones. Pero este reciente problema no ha sido tan discutido entre la sociedad estudiantil como otros. Por ejemplo, la prohibición de inmigración de 7 países del Medio Oriente. Parmida Faraji del doceavo grado posteó en Facebook.

“Debido a la prohibición de Donald Trump en 7 países del Medio Oriente, siendo Irán uno, no o puedo tener a mi familia para la graduación, él nunca lo entenderá porque

él es privilegiado.”

Posteos como estos no son populares sobre problemas latinos entre la comunidad Latina. La más reciente acción tomada para mostrar la solidaridad latina contra estas órdenes fue el 16 de Febrero, donde el movimiento ‘Un Dia sin Inmigrantes’ tomó lugar a través de la nación.

Muchos latinos no asistieron a sus trabajo, o no cumplieron con sus tareas de cada dia. Era para mostrar que Estados Unidos necesita a los latinos, legales e indocumentados, y desafiar sus órdenes.

En RM, este movimiento no fue tan fuerte. Estas nuevas reformas migratorias principalmente afectan a las minorías latinas indocumentadas en la preparatoria.

Muchas de estas personas se encuentran en el programa académico de ESOL. A veces este programa es aislado e ignorado por otros estudiantes el lenguaje crea una barrera. La falta de interacción hace que otros estudiantes piensen que pocas personas en la escuela son afectadas por las políticas del Presidente Trump.

L a organización de otras GRÁFICO POR KERN LEE protestas por todas partes del país han encontrado gran éxito. Los estudiantes de RM han hecho manifestaciones públicamente por los derechos de otras minorias, pero se quedaron callados cuando el grupo étnico más grande del país fue atormentado por el hombre más poderoso en el gobierno.

La minoría latina de inmigrantes indocumentados es mal representada y es frecuentemente identificada como un lugar de bajo nivel. En los ojos de algunos estudiantes la administración no ofrece soluciones para los problemas diarios de latinos indocumentados.

RM debería tomar acción para mostrar apoyo a las minorías latinas que están siendo afectadas por las órdenes ejecutivas del Presidente Trump.

Es importante demostrar solidaridad ahora porque estas órdenes no van a ser la últimas que apunten a los latinos.

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The Tide

ARTS

March 2017

Students sweep Scholastic (Humor) Spring into

You Wish Upon a Star” and “The Giving Tree,” both received Gold Keys.

by Magali Ngouabou Regional writing category competition winners included senior Victoria Priester, On March 5, several RM students were juniors Stella Ho, Cindy Song, Max Tiefer, recognized for their accomplishments in Vivian Yeh, sophomores Keira DiGaetano, art and literature through the Scholastic Isabella Levine, Nimah Nayel, Emily Tian, Alice Zhu and freshmen Thalia Art and Writing Competition.

Peters and Lydia Wei. Scholastic awards Gold Keys, One of the works submitted Silver Keys and Honorable was “Trumping God” by Tiefer, Mentions were offered at the which received a Silver Key in the regional level, with Gold Key pieces humor category. being forwarded to the National “I’d like to think it was political Scholastic Competition for a satire,” Tiefer said. The piece is chance to win a National Medal. about Trump meeting God in RM had 12 winners in the writing a Mexican church. category and six winners in the As the plot of his piece art category this year, with some is rather outlandish, Tiefer students winning multiple awards faced difficulties with making in their respective categories. The people identify with his piece. awards even included an American “Writing a good, funny story is Voices Nomination for one of the best hard,” he said. “So I always worry pieces in the region. This was awarded about whether or not it will be to sophomore Emily Tian for her poem positively received.” “osmosis.”

However, others believe artists In the art category, RM’s regional should confidently take owership winners included seniors Grace Ahn, of their art. Chen explained, “Art Anna Chen, Delia Chen, Kern Lee, Zi Wang shouldn’t require validation; people and junior Vivian Yeh, with 14 awards should create out of a desire to between them. express.” However, even there As D. Chen is a senior, this is some level of pride gained was her last year submitting to from being recognized by Scholastic. Her art has grown and matured since her first year GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE others.

The RM community is proud of all of submitting. “I think every artist starts by replicating other artists’ work or with strict those who had the courage to submit. All representation,” Chen explained. “But as artists are encouraged to keep submitting they gain experience and experiment more, their work because, in the famous words of they tend to develop a more personal Tiefer: “‘Shoot for the stars’, I always say. That approach or style, and this has definitely makes it more fun when you get kicked been the case for me.”

Her art submissions this year, “When into the dirt,” he declared.

The Shakespeare Club debuts

by Amalia Sulk

PHOTO COURTESY OF NAOMI PARK

The Shakespeare Club debuts Richard III. Performing Shakespeare is no easy task, especially when you have to condense a three-hour play into a mere 25 minutes.

However, RM’s Shakespeare Club is up for the task, performing “Richard III” this year at the Folger Theater.

Every Sunday for the past four months, the group of students has met for two hours to rehearse a Shakespeare play.

Senior Naomi Park, the student director, selected “Richard III,” and abridged it to be 30 minutes long. Then, students practiced, memorized lines and prepared to perform in front of an audience of multiple schools in March.

“I chose [“Richard III”] because I love the blend of comedy and tragedy, because it is a history play, but it has elements of both Shakespeare’s tragedies and his comedies,” Park explained.

The show follows Richard Gloucester, a deformed, disgruntled man who does everything in his power to become king.

“The way that he does it is probably one of the most evil ways possible. He kills his family just to get to the top,” junior Alex Turner, the show’s assistant director, said.

Park made an effort to keep only the necessary plot points when editing the show down to a half-hour abridged version,

but said it was hard to stick to the bare bones. “It was a very painful experience because the language is so beautiful and I hate to cut things that are really beautifulsounding,” Park explained.

Despite the short timeframe, Park retained a lot of imagery and metaphors, and made sure to portray the characters complexly. “The way... Naomi decided to abridge the play... there’s a lot of really cool imagery. Like there’s going to be ghosts, and there’s going to be cool costume things where, when someone dies, I’m going to take a piece of what they’re wearing,”

“I chose [“Richard III”] because I love the blend of comedy and tragedy” - Naomi Park junior Selma Benhassine said, who stars as Richard in the show.

Unfortunately, not all of Park’s ideas made it into the final show: “It was definitely a little ambitious, in terms of money, since we have pretty much a zero dollar budget, and in terms of technical feasibility,” Park admitted. The Shakespeare Club is still a small club, and though they could book the Folger Theatre, they are still on their way towards putting on a completely professional-level production.

Despite the challenges and the dark subject matter, students had a lot of fun putting on the show. “People who do Shakespeare Club are really passionate and really talented, and they’re really just fun to be around,” Park said. “Everyone’s really supportive of each other, and we just have fun doing Shakespeare,” Benhassine agreed. With such talent and enthusiasm, Shakespeare Club left all the drama to be seen on stage.

Break with THESE 5 unique activities: #3 will leave you dying!

by Ami Wong Now that it’s the end of March, it’s time to prepare plans for a snow day spring break! If you want some unique photos to post on Instagram, here are some cool twists on classic spring break activities.

INSTEAD OF: going to the beach TRY: going to the desert Where’s the best place to prepare for a post-apocalyptic dystopia? You got it, it’s the desert! Considering the fact that it was 70 degrees in February and we’ve only had a single snow day, it’s definitely reasonable to conclude that the Wasteland Age is upon us. Bonus: you can still get your fill of sand!

INSTEAD OF: binge watching Netflix TRY: reading a how-to book Not only is learning a new skill rewarding, but it doesn’t offer the empty feeling that pondering the existential nature of humanity does! A book suggestion: “Learning to be a ‘Woke’ Millennial for Dummies”. Get “hip” to the modern lingo of the young whippersnappers, with memes like angry cat, froge, and my personal favorite, sugar bae. Fleek!

INSTEAD OF: exercising at the gym TRY: grizzly hunting with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Why else would we need a hypothetical gun in our school to prepare for a hypothetical grizzly attack? Measure your progress with both growth AND proficiency, with the added bonus of spending an entire week with an off-brand politician/teacher. It’ll be so much fun, you won’t be able to bear it!

INSTEAD OF: having a house party TRY: going to the movies with friends Why indulge in reality when you can marvel at the fantastic creations of filmmakers? A movie excursion is the perfect time to fulfill your social duties while still acting like you’re watching Netflix! Watch popular movies like Moonlight, the tale of a boy finding himself, Lion, the tale of a boy finding his family, and Fifty Shades Darker, the tale of a man finding something entirely different. Don’t forget to watch the Best Picture winner, La La Land Moonlight!

INSTEAD OF: studying for APs TRY: screaming Why spend hours poring over a book in anguish before screaming when you can skip straight to releasing your anger at a volume of 100 decibels? Plus, screaming doesn’t incur the physical wounds of slamming your head against the wall. Close that book, accumulate your frustration, and indulge in the relaxing endeavor of vocalizing your cathartic experience! *Do not try this at home, school, or any public area.

Follow these alternative activities and you’ll have the best spring break of your life! Tune in next time to learn the correct process for creating fake snow.

GRAPHIC BY ALISA GAO

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Art for charitable causes The writing is on the wall

by Natalie Chartove

by Sara Reilly

Youth Art For Healing (YAFH) is an organization that provides hospitals with art to create a positive atmosphere. RM has participated in the charity for over three years. This year, 13 students, under the guidance of art teacher Katherine Stanton, produced work for the program.

The charity partners with teachers, schools and youth groups, encouraging young artists to explore the healing power their work has. Students create art that is placed in hospitals or offices to provide a more pleasant environment for patients and professionals alike.

Participating RM artists painted pieces to be placed in Georgetown Hospital. They produced landscapes on canvasses given

“I really think that being surrounded by art is important, especially in an academic setting because it sparks inspiration when we get to see ideas of student artists from both the past and the present,” junior Cameron Dulany said.

RM is committed to exemplifying the independent work of its students in a variety of ways—one being the murals painted throughout the school. Each hallway has murals covering the walls, typically corresponding to the subject taught in that hall.

The English hallway in particular has a wide variety of murals adorning its walls, consisting mostly of quotes from novels with symbolic paintings accompanying them. The combination of paintings of book spines on the smaller walls and larger scale quotes above the lockers creates a unique aesthetic which was developed in a partnership between art students and the English department.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELIA CHEN

Noemi Garayo painted a colorful lighthouse. to them by YAFH. Over several months, artists painted, critiqued and repainted their pieces before completing them. “I had to really consider the colors I was using, the theme, the brushstrokes, and the composition of the painting,” sophomore Eric Kim said.

Since most of the pieces are placed in children’s hospitals, YAFH had strict requirements. “It was pretty specific, we couldn’t include anything in it that would maybe make a child scared,” junior

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELIA CHEN

Laura Ji donated her painting of a waterfall.

Alexandra Mao said. Students were asked to remove or change designs that might make a child uncomfortable, such as designs considered threatening and the color red.

As a result, the process for making the pieces was very inclusive. Students participated in numerous critiques, where peers and teachers would advise and comment on pieces that needed to be edited. “A couple times throughout the process, people that are part of the organization would give us feedback on what they wanted us to do to change our paintings,” Mao said.

Despite the artistic challenges YAFH posed, many students saw the value of doing art as charity. “I just thought it was a nice idea to paint something for kids, because usually you paint things for yourself, for assignments at school, or for competitions,” Mao said. “I thought it was nice to be able to give my art away.”

Many student artists found that art class had applications outside of school. “It is a privilege that our students are able to directly influence the mood of patients through their art and to have a positive impact on others beyond the scope of our school,” Mrs. Stanton said. YAFH allowed RM art students to give back to the community and explore the power art holds as a way to heal.

“The teachers chose the books, and I chose the quotations from the books based on teacher recommendations,” English teacher Nancy Shay said. “We also wanted to choose books that were taught at school.”

The integration of texts that RM students read in class allows for the art’s meaning to relate to larger pool of people, creating an impactful and thought-provoking environment for students.

By using widely read texts within the school, the painting of these murals not only serves an aesthetic purpose, but an educational one—intertwining art and English. Bridging the gap between subjects persuades students whose interests may be more focused towards either art or English to be able to see the lesser understood subject from a different perspective.

“Walking through the English hallway is always refreshing, because it reminds me that stepping into the classroom does not mean that the creative side of me has to shut off,” junior Joanna Spouge said. The murals on RM walls continue to inspire students and teachers to continue working to balance individuality and productivity.

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

A quote from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” brightens up a row of lockers.

IB Art students share art process through sketchbooks

by Katie Zhang Every IB Art student at RM carries around a mysterious black book whose mundane outer appearance masks its

senior Peter Mnev explained. Each artist uses a different combination of materials to create their art. Some students sketch and plan in their sketchbooks using watercolor and pencil, mediums that they consider relatively easy to use, before moving on to using ink or acrylic in their final pieces.

ideas or themes that they want to portray.

“I usually do sketchbook pages on artists or movements of art that interest me, but in IB Art 2 we normally do our sketchbook pages on the progress of our own works of art,” senior Maddie Liu said.

Regardless, each sketchbook page can be

my sketchbook,” Mnev said. They can open up minds to new ideas, much like any English essay or history project. “Having to do the research is helpful and gives me a wider perspective on art throughout time,” Corrigan said.

Sketchbooks can be a burden at times

PHOTOS BY STELLA HO

Sketchbook spreads created by various juniors explore art from all walks of life, including abstract art, traditional African art, Pop Art, fashion design, minimalism, and collages. intricate interior. Each spread is called a “sketchbook assignment,” but these are not the rough drawings most envision at the word “sketch.” Students use pages to plan projects, do research and, sometimes, create works of art in their own right. “I think of my sketchbook as… a database of ideas to draw from and techniques to put in my arsenal,” junior Mady Corrigan said.

One important use for sketchbooks is as a way to experiment. “I sometimes use it to practice certain techniques or art styles,”

Other students collage different pieces onto their sketchbooks, printing out images and doodling with markers or crayons.

“There aren’t a lot of masterpieces in there, but there are a lot of fun little vignettes,” Corrigan said. A sketchbook can be a place to not only plan ideas, but also to sample new techniques and materials.

The content that students choose to create in their sketchbooks varies depending on the course that they are taking, but the artists have a lot of liberty in deciding what

a chance to explore a new art movement, medium, or artist. The most successful are those that display the student’s creativity, whether through reinterpreting artworks, replicating materials such as metal with different styles or creating new paintings within the pages themselves.

After finishing each page, the true purpose of the sketchbooks comes to light.

“I have come up with a lot of interesting ideas that I would have otherwise struggled to come up with had I not spent time on

due to their rigorous submission deadlines, but they provide a valuable look back at old work. “It’s been really helpful with making more informed and thought-out work. I like reflecting on the trajectory my pieces have taken after the ideas for them were first conceived,” senior Delia Chen said.

“My sketchbook is like a private creative space or diary.” These sketchbooks are an exemplar of how art tells stories––flipping through one will reveal an artist’s creative and personal journey.

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FEATURES

March 2017

DECA gets down to business at Md. state competition

by Valerie Wang RM’s DECA chapter means business— both figuratively and literally. DECA, which stands for the Distributive Education Clubs of America, is an international entrepreneurship organization focused on empowering a new generation of leaders and innovators through business, marketing and finance activities. Between individual and team decision-making events, roleplays and written events, students have a wide variety of topics to choose from.

Though they started off with only four members four years ago, the club now boasts over 100 members. “I heard DECA was a good club for presentation and speaking skills so I decided to join,” freshman Katie Zhang explained. “It’s really fun.”

After a successful regionals conference hosted at RM, dozens of RM students headed to the state conference in Ellicott City from March 2 to 3 to compete in the next level of events. Hosted at the Turf Valley Resort, students were able to attend many workshops and events in addition to their competitive event, including professional presentations regarding business etiquette, social skills, and how to start a successful business.

Zhang partnered with freshman Laura Yao to compete in a written event on Business Operations and creating a promotional plan. “We wrote a 30-page paper and also did a 15 minute presentation,” Yao said. The two acted as hired consultants to create a new marketing plan for their specific restaurant, the Mosaic Bistro and Bar. “We went to a French waffle restaurant and interviewed the owner,” Zhang added.

“We had to pass out a lot of surveys to the customers and employees too.”

Junior Ami Wong and her partners participated in the Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research regarding the restaurant Miso Fusion Cafe. “I think the best part of the event was getting to work so closely with a local business and get to see part of it,” Wong said.

At the conference, both pairs presented

exam regarding marketing techniques. “I learned a lot about budget and business,” Pak said. “[Next year,] I will probably do a less common event with fewer competitors, and in a subject area that I am more familiar with.”

Sophomore Manasi Yedevalli competed in Accounting Applications, a set of two

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHISH PATEL

RM DECA placed first out of all the team chapters at CDC, held at Turf Valley Resort. their research and plan to two judges. “The presentation itself was kind of stressful,” Zhang said. “All of the officers were telling us to act very professional in front of the judges, like we were assuming the role of consultants. It was definitely a new experience.”

Freshman Kaylen Pak competed in the Fashion Merchandising category. Her event was composed of an eleven page paper, a presentation, and a one hour

roleplays in which the students were asked to pose as an accountant and advise their clients on how to manage their finances.

“I thought the conference was a lot of fun,” Yedevalli reflected. “My favorite part was the closing ceremonies because RM won a lot of awards.”

Wong and her team finished in first place, as did Yedevalli, and Zhang and Yao came in second, qualifying for the international conference. Along with many other RM

students, the two will travel to Anaheim, Calif. in April for this competition.

In the overall category, RM won first for the second year in a row, breaking Reservoir High School’s decade-long streak. “I’m so proud to be part of RM,” Pak said. “I know so many people who won first and second place, and they all did really well.”

Between the tightly-packed schedule of workshops and competitions, students also had fun at the resort by relaxing with friends at the pool. “The food was also really good,” Pak said.

Students also had a chance to meet people from other schools. “After our presentation, my friends and I went to our room and relaxed and played some games until the sword swallower show,” Wong said. “We also met some new people from other schools during our free time, which will remain as one of my fondest memories of the conference,” she added.

However, students felt that the state conference had some room for improvement. “They moved curfew very last second,” Pak recalled. “I wish the evening events, such as the ‘DECArnival’ were more engaging and had more varied activities,” she added.

“My experiences have taught me a lot in the field and have contributed to my decision to pursue a business career,” Wong explained. Despite joining the club with little experience, she quickly found interest in DECA. Pak confidently stated that she will return next year. “It has taught me a lot about the field of business and how to communicate with other people,” she said.

“It was a very good experience that I would like to repeat.”

Dedicated to helping students discover their creative passions and inspire career choices, DECA prepares students for college and beyond. For RM students, having this kind of experience is a big deal.

Advocacy for gender equality does not take a holiday

by MJ Estwick First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.”

From Cleopatra, a famous Egyptian pharaoh, to Malala Yousafzai, a girl who suffered multiple gunshots to the head while fighting for women’s education, women have exemplified Roosevelt’s belief since early civilization.

First observed on March 8, 1909, International Women’s Day has since become an international holiday to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also represents a call to action for achieving gender equality. Three years later, in 1911, March was officially recognized as Women’s History Month.

GRAPHIC BY ALISA GAO

At RM, many students have been passionately advocating for gender equality.

Sophomore Piper Feldman has been unknowingly a part of the feminist movement since a young age. “I used to reject the idea of girliness, starting when I was four years old,” she said. “I never went back.”

As Feldman grew up, she fought for more girls to be accepted in the sports community. “I proved to many boys in 8th grade that I could dominate in both [maleand female-dominated] sports,” she said.

“In high school, despite there being little to no girls with letterman jackets, I ordered mine and wear it around school proudly.”

Other RM students demonstrate their support for the movement as well. RM’s Girl Up club encourages girls to change the world and make a difference in their communities.

Some students are less outspoken about their opinions on feminism and gender equality. “Personally I haven’t done anything that could really stand out as something that directly helps gender equality,” junior Ky Jenkins said. “And honestly it’s due to the fact that I don’t really know what I would do.”

However, Jenkins still believes in the importance of voicing your opinion. “Having numbers does more than people truly think,” he said. “Large numbers of people show everyone that there’s a problem and it must be fixed.” “[When I think of a feminist], I think of a strong, empowered person, who is not afraid to see some positive change in the world,” Feldman said. For her, this positive change includes achieving equality between men and women on a social, political and economic level. “I see a world where every accomplished woman is no longer put all over the news for being the ‘first

female’ because successful women will be just as common as successful men in every field.”

Similarly, Jenkins envisions a bright future of gender equality. “I see women achieving big things. We almost saw our first women president in history and some people took this for granted,” he said. “40 years ago, many people would not have believed the idea of a woman running for president and nearly winning. It’s revolutionary. Life is changing and in many aspects for the better.”

However, there are still many obstacles to overcome before complete equality is achieved. “I think many feminists are trying to move forward, but traditionalists are holding us back,” Feldman said. “Women are slowly getting the recognition and equality they want, but there is still a long way to go before a girl can play football and she’ll just be a football player, not a news story, or before women stop getting catcalled in the streets.”

Junior Katie Cobb expressed similar sentiments: “Women’s rights are still present and pressing issues worldwide. Even if you think that American women are completely equal to men today, it is undeniable that women and girls all across the globe are still being oppressed solely based on their gender,” she said. “Furthermore, the contributions of women to the advancement of humankind continue to be unrecognized.”

RM stuents also acknowledge the global significance of the fight for equality. “Things are pretty bad in the U.S., but they’re even worse in other nations across the globe,” an anonymous student explained. “There’s genital mutilation, child marriages, rape, and a general dishonor associated with being female.”

Furthermore, many people hold mis-

conceptions about the definition and goals of the feminist movement. “Many people don’t fully understand what [feminism] is, or their family or friends don’t necessarily understand it themselves, so they tend to pass those misconceptions to other people, resulting in many people being misinformed about what it really is.”

To remedy these problems, Feldman had

“I see women achieving big things. Life is changing and in many aspects, for the better.”

- Ky Jenkins a few ideas: “As a community, we need to stop having double standards for how women should behave,” she said. “[Sometimes],” women are deemed ‘bossy’ while men are deemed ‘a good leader’ for acting the same way.”

Both are optimistic about the progress women have made, and are determined to contribute to further gender equality.

“Sadly, I don’t think things are equal, but they’re getting better,” Jenkins said. Feldman added: “I think there are definitely strides to be taken because the world most certainly isn’t perfectly equal, but I really hope we are headed in that direction.”

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Robotics builds robots, connections, and love for STEM ROBOTICS, cont. from page 1 The club regularly hosts outreach events in the local community with organizations like Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) and Stepping Stones. These events strive to educate underprivileged children about robotics and STEM. “I get to be both exposed to opportunities, because of the community outreach and business we have to run, as well as the engineering process and skills our team has to go to through because of the competition,” senior and co-captain Peter Maldonado said.

The teams act as a local organization under the name Rockville-Montgomery Robotics Association, giving them more freedom with meeting times, but also requiring them to manage funding and other aspects themselves. “We essentially operate a business, because we do our own

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNIL TOHAN

Kameron Hnath shows off their FTC robot.

grant writing and funding,” Utz explained.

“It almost makes it a little different from other teams in that aspect, and the slogan for FIRST, is ‘more than robots.’”

Both RM teams are split into three subgroups: programming, mechanics, and outreach, but all members get involved with other aspects as well. “There’s no specific role of one person in robotics because everyone has to adapt to something on a certain day,” sophomore Matthew Kolodner said. “It’s really fun working as a team. That’s probably the aspect that I enjoy most--the team effort and unifying aspects.”

The FTC competition judges both the robot and local outreach. “That aspect of our team, the outreach, is very strong, and has increased throughout the years, and the judges like it,” Utz said. “Our robot has not been doing the best, but we’re constantly trying to improve it.”

Maldonado, who has been on the team all four years of high school, expressed his love for robotics and the team. “My favorite part is definitely being able to develop skills that I wouldn’t have developed in my classes at school.

Freshman Matthew Gu agreed, pointing out the team’s independence as an entirely student-run organization. “My favorite part is the fact that we’re student led,” he said. “We solve all of our own problems and we don’t have a higher being who manages all of our stuff.”

Building the robots is a challenge, and each team must create a new robot every year, exploring a wide variety of STEM topics. “I get to use a lot of technical skills and see applications of the skills I’m learning in math, and physics, and computer science,” Maldonado said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNIL TOHAN

Robot 5421 was made by “RM’d and Dangerous” for the East Super-Regional Tournament.

Junior Sue Lee commends robotics on uniting the local community, while pushing the members to their creative limits. “I think robotics stimulates the mind. It allows us to have real world experiences with how to incorporate STEM into a more realistic environment that can be applicable in many environments in the future, and also cultivates culture and diversity in our community,” she said. “Not only diversity in culture, but also in thought, and that’s what we need in this day and age, where there’s so much exclusion. We need inclusion, and that’s where robotics comes in.”

Moving forward, the club expressed both excitement and concerns for the future of their teams. “One of our biggest challenges is that we’ve had the same group for the past couple of years, and the students are

now seniors leading the organization,” Maldonado explained.

Nevertheless, the seniors are optimistic for the coming years. “We hope for a peaceful transition between the seniors and the underclassmen, and that they know what to do going forward and succeed and have a lot of the opportunities that we’ve had.”

Utz agreed, and will work hard to pass on the RM Robotics legacy. “I just want to make sure that the knowledge we have is not, essentially, lost once we leave for college,” he said. “Part of my goal is to make some documents and guides that they know what we’ve attempted, what has worked and what hasn’t, so the students will be able to discover on their own but also avoid repeating the mistakes that we’ve made.”

Main office staff: stories from behind the front desk

by Tide Features Editors The women in the Main Office help the school day run like a well-oiled machine.

They ensure the bells ring on time during school days with different schedules, make important announcements during the day, and direct visitors when they first enter the building. Read more about different Main Office staff members below.

Cathy Stec While Ms. Cathy Stec declared herself a “super boring” person, her extensive list of experiences would beg to differ. Prior to her three years at RM, Ms. Stec worked at a middle school, and before that, she was a fitness instructor at the YMCA. She has also worked as a meeting planner, traveling all across the country to plan conferences and conventions.

It was not until she had children that Ms. Stec decided to transfer into the public school system. “I really wanted something that was going to allow me to spend more time with my family, so I knew being in the school system could do that,” she explained. “I like having summer breaks, and spring break, and winter break.”

Beyond having plenty of free off-days, there is nothing that Ms. Stec loves about RM more than the people in it. “I love the office staff, I love the people...We all get along and have fun,” she said. However, Ms. Stec is still unsure of what exactly she sees in her future. “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” she said jokingly. “I’ve had a variety of positions, and with life changes, things changed. I actually still don’t know what I want to do.”

But what has not changed in years is her love for shopping, singing, and, of course, hanging out with her beloved husband and sons.

Julie Fahrner-Swenson There are three main things that Mrs. Julie Fahrner-Swenson loves: her family, RM students, and Disney. Before coming to RM, Ms. Fahrner-Swenson worked at a dental office. However, she soon realized

her true passion was interacting with people. “It makes me happy, to help people and to try to make them happy,” she said.

“I’m thankful for the time I had at the dental office, but I’d much rather listen to people laughing than a drill going off.”

Getting to see her dad, Mr. John Fahrner, daily is also a huge bonus for her. Every St. Patrick’s Day, Mr. Fahrner brings an old boombox and blasts Irish music in the halls. “I used to Irish step dance, so we’ll dance and he’ll swing us around the halls,” Ms. Fahrner-Swenson explained. “My

was the best time ever,” she recalled fondly.

“I’ve been to Disney World too many times to count. If they would let me, I would live there.”

Ms. Fahrner-Swenson cites Peter Pan as a major source of inspiration. “Peter Pan is my favorite [movie] because it has adventure, Neverland, fairies, pirates, mermaids...everything magical is in that movie,” she said. “The message in that movie is really cool too: to never grow up. I think it’s important to hold that wonderful part of being a kid, no matter how old

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA HERMANSDORFER

The main office staff members work behind the scenes, ensuring that RM is run smoothly. grandfather came from Ireland, so we’re you are.” And as seen from her Disneyreally proud of our Irish heritage.” decorated desk, Ms. Fahrner-Swenson has Though she does not work at RM, Ms. definitely not forgotten the magic of her Fahrner-Swenson is also inspired by her childhood. mom. “My mom works in the main office Dianne Weiler at Seneca Valley,” she said. “[My mom] the A native of Florida, Ms. Dianne Weiler principal secretary at Seneca Valley and spent her childhood basking under the she’s amazing at what she does... I’ll email southern sun, right in the vicinity of her or call her up and ask her questions and sparkling beaches and what is known as she’s always quick to help me.” the happiest place on Earth: Disney World.

Another one of her passions is evyerhing “The weather’s much better down there, Disney, from visiting Disney World to [since] I prefer warm to cold. It was a great watching Disney movies. “Any time that I childhood,” she reflected. got to go to Disney World with my family Now, despite living in the middle of

suburban Maryland, Ms. Weiler still has plenty to love. “I’ve actually always wanted to work [at RM],” she said. “It’s closer to home. The staff is wonderful; everybody’s great to work with here. I heard a lot of great things about this school.” Before she joined the RM community, Ms. Weiler worked in the healthcare industry for about a decade, as well as for the NASDAQ stock market for a couple years.

In her free time, Ms. Weiler enjoys reading, photography, hiking, and watching movies.

Mary Ayala Ms. Mary Ayala has been a valuable member of the RM community for almost 13 years. Like Ms. Stec, she chose to work in the school system when her sons were in elementary school to have a schedule that accommodated family life.

Since then, Ms. Ayala has experienced quite a bit at RM, but most notably, she will always remember visiting Antietam with Mr. Hines and the sophomore U.S. History classes. “Mr. Hines took his memorabilia and costumes and reenacted the Civil War artillery unit,” she recalled. “It seemed like a living history type thing, and it was phenomenal.”

However, this experience seems to pale in comparison to Ms. Ayala’s own adventures. “In my twenties, [two friends and I] traveled around the U.S., and [we] went 10,000 miles in three months,” she said. “We went in a Volkswagen Beetle, and we compiled a list of people that we knew-friends of friends that lived all around the U.S. that we could contact and could stay with in different areas.”

The trio stopped by hundreds of places, including the Grand Canyon and Washington state—places that Ms. Ayala had always wanted to visit. From Washington, they took Route 1 all the way down to Tijuana in Mexico. Aside from a couple pre-scheduled destinations, the trip was made entirely of looking at maps and spontaneously choosing somewhere to go.

“It was awesome,” she reminisced.

Remember to thank these women the next time you stop by the Main Office.

20 The Tide

FEATURES

March 2017

Dr. McDonald skydives headfirst into new challenges

“As soon as I did it, I knew it was where I belonged—in the sky,” he said. He continued to skydive, soon becoming certified in the sport in 1994. He was active Some teachers have hobbies outside of in skydiving for about 20 years, from 1994 class, like collecting books or playing sports, to 2015, and has made over 615 jumps. but which one of your teachers jumps out of Although Dr. McDonald no longer planes? Dr. Douglas McDonald, a statistics skydives, he has not completely ruled out and economics teacher at RM, was a the possibility of returning to the sport. skydiver. “I’ve jumped from various types “I reached the point where I achieved of airplanes, from helicopters, from hot air all the goals that I had for skydiving,” he balloons,” he revealed. “I’ve jumped from explained. “[But] there are times when [I] altitudes from about 3,000 ft to 23000 ft in see a beautiful blue sky and I really want to multiple states. I’ve made two or three trips be up there, because when you’re skydiving to the ER as a result of skydiving and I’ve the sky is your playground.” met some fantastic people in the sport.”

Dr. McDonald’s passion for heights Dr. McDonald made his first jump in started out at a young age. “As a kid I was 1992, jumpstarting his skydiving career. always climbing trees too high or jumping off of rocks and things like that,” he said.

“I’d always fantasized about flying and skydiving became a way to make that a reality.

For Dr. McDonald, not much beats the feeling of free-falling through the air. “If you jump at 14,000 feet and deploy your parachute at 3,000 feet, you’ve got about 70 seconds of freefall,” he explained. “And for those 70 seconds, you feel like you can fly.”

He has even gone to various conventions throughout his skydiving career, most notably the World Freefall Convention in 2005, where a picture of him in the middle of a jump was used to advertise the sport.

“The picture was taken by a well-known skydiving photographer,” Dr. McDonald PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN explained. “Actually, when I went back to When he is not skydiving, Dr. McDonald is the convention the next year, I saw that the picture was on T-shirts, a magazine, and teaching statistics and economics classes.

by Ami Thaivalappil

CALLIGRAPHY BY ALISA GAO GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

by Julie Yeo Lana Del Rey. Fountain Pens. Chai Lattes.

Debate. These are some of the interests that brought RM debate team members senior David Edimo and junior Kunal Harmalkar together. This year, at the Montgomery County debate championships, Edimo and Harmalkar put up an impressive argument and won the title of county champions.

Edimo and Harmalkar have spent many long hours preparing for debates since school started in August. Every month, they researched a new topic thoroughly and crafted detailed arguments for both sides of the debate. The topics, which are selected by the National Speech and Debate Association, ranged from the Cuban Embargo to the Probable Cause Standard, and many more.

Through their hard work, the pair was able to win almost all of their debates, finishing the regular season with a record of

8-2. Their excellent performance propelled them into the county semi-finals along with 15 other RM teams, seven of which continued on to the finals.

Out of the total sixteen teams left in the finals, Edimo a n d Harmalkar finished on top.

Although it may seem like Edimo and Harmalkar have been debating their entire lives, this year was actually their first year on the RM d e b a t e t e a m .

However, both agree that they have improved their debating

CALLIGRAPHY BY ALISA GAO GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN YEH

by Maureen Zeufack On March 3, senior Drew Byrd was bestowed with the esteemed honor of “MR. RM,” but there is much more to the man beneath the crown.

Aside from being a spirited head chef of Hell’s Kitchen, Byrd also runs track for RM and plays basketball outside of school. “I mostly just give Alec Hall buckets in one on one,” he said. “I also play cello at church and DC Youth Orchestra Program.”

Byrd cites his grandfather as one of his major inspirations. “He died in 2005 because of prostate cancer, but he was always a positive man. He always looked at the brighter side of things and always wanted to help out everyone he could,” Byrd explained. “Whenever I face a difficult task, I always think of him and hope that he’s watching over me.”

Despite attending middle school on the other side of the county, Byrd was quick to get involved at RM, notably through Hell’s Kitchen. “I got to come out every Friday and cheer on our powerhouse of a boys varsity football team right next to four of my other classmates and a ton of spirited RM students behind me in the bleachers,” Byrd explained.

Another way he showed his school spirit was by participating in MR. RM. “I put in a lot of effort to come out with the results I wanted,” he reflected. “[I like] being able to remember that my brother Alec Hall made it all the way to the final two

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOUGLAS MCDONALD

This photo of Dr. McDonald was published in a magazine, as well as advertisements.

Even so, Dr. McDonald continues to various published advertisements for the skydive, traveling to different states to World Freefall Convention.”

However, because skydiving is make the jumps. For him, it’s a hobby that considered an extreme sport, with it comes he hopes to keep pursuing. “It’s really various injuries. Thankfully, Dr. McDonald helped me grow as a person and I’ve has only had three minor injuries. “Two really enjoyed the physical and mental were knee injuries and then a broken wrist and psychological challenge involved at one time, which are all from landing, with in skydiving,” he said. “Plus I’ve had a the high performance canopies coming in a tremendous amount of fun while doing it.” bit too fast,” he said. “I’ve also had three Dr. McDonald had a few words of advice parachute malfunctions, where I deploy for students: “Remember that nobody my main parachute and it doesn’t work should feel like skydiving is something right since it’s either tangled up or stuck in you have to do if you don’t feel comfortable the bag. And so I’ve had to cut away the with it,” he said. “[But] if you feel the malfunctioned one and deploy the reserve calling, then I absolutely encourage you to parachute to land safely.” check it out.”

skills immensely throughout the season. “I learned how to deal with very aggressive debaters during crossfire, how to stay focused on the ultimate objective which is convincing the judge, and I’m much better at finding the specific data that I need,” Edimo explained.

They both believe that t h e skills they have refined while practicing for debate this year will be useful to them in the future. “After the election, so many of my friends have been getting more and m o r e politically involved,” Harmalkar s a i d .

“Having g o o d public speaking skills...makes other people more likely PHOTO BY LUCIA JIANG to listen to

you and what you have to say.”

Although they barely knew each other before the debate season, working together on debates has also strengthened the pair’s friendship. “At the start we were super formal and only talked about debate, but as the season went on, we grew so much closer and ended up spending more time joking around and talking rather than working on debate,” Harmalkar explained.

Over time, they even started a special tradition of doing team squats with other team members before each debate.

Their team dynamic has translated directly onto the debate floor, where being able to think in sync has been a huge advantage. “We support each other during crossfire and during debates we’re constantly scribbling notes to each other,” Edimo noted, reflecting on their teamwork even under the intense pressure of a debate.

As for the future, Edimo will be graduating this year, but Harmalkar will continue on his RM debate journey. They will go their separate ways, but always bonded by their debate experiences. And if all else fails, they can always count on Lana Del Rey, fountain pens, and chai lattes to remind them of a season well spent.

when it was just me and him.”

Byrd’s MR. RM name, “Mr. Black and Boujee” was inspired by the song “Bad and Boujee” by Migos. “Before MR. RM, my girlfriend Kristina Murphy and I were participating in the Pong for Patients competition and we chose Bad and Boujee as our partner name,” he explained. “We then inserted Black in the place of Bad as a reference to my skin color.”

As a senior, Byrd will be leaving RM next year and going to college, but he will bring with him many fond memories. “I’m going to miss all of the spirit and the unified community that RM has to offer,” he said. “I didn’t know anyone when I first came to RM freshman year, but when I got to RM everyone was really friendly and accepting.”

As for the future, Byrd hopes to do something that combines his passions for language and travel. “I started learning Spanish when I was three. When I was eight, I traveled to Peru for the first time and I absolutely fell in love with it,” he said. “I would go back to Peru for the next six summers and every time I went back, I would discover something new.”

Byrd’s travels have inspired him to pursue a career in international affairs. “Going to China in 2015 was another layer to add onto my appreciation for travel,” he explained. “After I left, I knew that I wanted to do something international, so I narrowed down my career path to doing something in Global Development or becoming a Foreign Service officer.”

After winning MR. RM, Byrd will have another memory to take with him as his pursues his goals, no matter what part of the world he ends up in.

PHOTO BY MONA LEE

Have any nominations for our next student of the issue? Email us the name of your nominee and a brief explanation of why they should be featured at thefeatureseditors@gmail.com.

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March 2017

21

22

The Tide

SPORTS

March 2017

RM Boosters help boost the Athletic Department

by Katie Spencer RM is admired and envied for their exemplary athletic facilities.

Whether it be the silky gold trim on brand new uniforms, the meticulously maintained practice fields or the glossy finish on the most up-to-date equipment available, everything about the sports program is of the highest quality.

Though it can be easy to take these luxuries for granted, RM’s athletic teams could not function without the funding and planning of the Booster Club.

The Booster Club is a volunteer-based organization predominantly made up of parents, pulling from over 200 households within the cluster.

The club is focused on three main goals: raising money for the athletic department, promoting school spirit through the sports programs and offering assistance wherever needed throughout the event coordination process.

The Athletics Department receives a constant supply of financial support from the Booster Club since the county government only allocates a small budget to school sports programs countywide. From equipment costs to field maintenance and everything in between, RM’s Athletic Department ends up spending almost $200,000 each

year. MCPS only provides just over a quarter of this annual total, leaving the school to make up the difference with their own financial support organizations.

Booster Club fundraisers make up this difference. While certain sports teams have their own individual collection activities, the Booster Club arranges many large universal fundraisers like the Rockville Rewards cards distribution, restaurant nights and the spring mulch sale.

The club is split into committees that tackle

One Booster Club committee focuses on bestowing four $750 college grants to Rocket athletes.

During the late spring season, parent volunteers seek to reward applicants for their leadership roles, academic abilities and extra-curricular involvement.

Eligible seniors apply for the grants in late April.

Though it might go unnoticed, parent volunteers take up many behind-the-scenes jobs that contribute to the overall indispensability of the Booster Club to RM’s sports programs.

They run the concession stands at events, transport athletes throughout t h e mulch s a l e a n d vote o n

GRAPHIC BY KERN LEE

particular areas of the budget.

Each committee starts with a single person who identifies a pressing need to address with further depth. Then, other members step up to offer their services.

There are specific committees within the Booster Club that cover Restaurant Nights, Sponsorship and Communications.

specific areas for money allocation.

“It would be impossible to run an athletic department without the Booster Club,” Athletic Director Chamy Wijeratne explained.

Another role played by the parent-run organization is the designing and selling of spirit wear. While the process is not intended to be a large moneymaker, volunteers still enjoy

COACH OF THE ISSUE Coach Barber-Strunk passes on her volleyball wisdom

by Grace Zhou Gretchen Barber-Strunk, volleyball coach and part-time substitute, is a prime example of a successful athlete turned successful coach. She is a natural athlete who has brought her many years of experience to the girls and boys volleyball teams.

Barber-Strunk attends every game with her wife, Ashley Barber-Strunk, who is back as the JV volleyball coach. They are at every game, encouraging and directing their players.

Barber-Strunk does not only watch from the sidelines. During practice, she joins their games and

PHOTO BY FATMA ELSAYED?

Barber-Strunk poses at practice.

advises the team while having her own fun.

“She played the same position that I play, so she is always helping me to be better by pointing out the little mistakes and each thing I can do to be better,” junior Brooke Richman explained.

Barber-Strunk did not start out as a volleyball player; she started her athletic career as a soccer player and swimmer. But when she went to high school things changed. She did not like her swim coach, and her high school team did not have a girls soccer team.

“Although I’m sure I could have kept up, I respected [my parents’] wishes [to not play coed soccer,] and decided to try volleyball,” Barber-Strunk explained.

She quickly picked up the sport and played on the high school team all four years. At the same time, she started coaching a youth league and played club. She was recruited to play in college was unable to accept it due to an injury.

Her wife, Ashley BarberStrunk, was the RM girls JV coach in 2011, even though she had no prior knowledge about volleyball.

The two bonded as Barber-Strunk planned practices and oversaw her coaching.

Barber-Strunk took over JV for a year, but quickly got promoted to head coach. She

began coaching the boys in 2013 and the girls varsity in 2014. She used to coach a club team as well, but gave it up two years ago to focus on her other jobs: varsity coach, substitute teacher and dog walker.

With her guidance, both teams are doing better than ever.

“She is determined to help us be the best we can be. She pushes us in practices and holds high expectations,” Richman said.

As for the boys, Barber-Strunk has higher expectations than ever.

“The ultimate goal would be to win the County championship again,” Barber-Strunk explained.

“Last year we had really good chemistry and that’ll be hard to top… but I have high hopes that we will have a successful season again.”

Barber-Strunk cares about all of her players, taking pride in their individual and collective accomplishments.

“The best part of being a coach for me is seeing the progression... from when you first take a look at them their freshman year at tryouts to... the player they have developed into by the time they graduate,” Barber-Strunk said.

“Volleyball has influenced me my whole life from making lifelong friendships and memories to teaching me a great work ethic,” she reflected. “It’s memories for life and experiences far beyond just [the sport.]”

the time they spend selling the merchandise at sporting events or seasonal “Meet the Coaches” nights. Members also coordinate large team orders and facilitate the distribution once the items arrive.

A popular outing, especially among athletes, is the restaurant fundraisers. The Booster Club reaches out to sponsors such as Chipotle, The Habit Burger and California Tortilla to request fundraisers in which a portion of the restaurant’s evening proceeds would go towards the club’s fundrasing.

The dinners are often very successful, as students are enthusiastic to support the school’s athletic department.

Some other events planned by the Booster Club are a Dodgeball tournament, Peewee Poms performances, tailgates, and 5th quarter football activities.

They also promote activities for specific sporting matches including football and basketball games. Their primary method of advertisement is a weekly email newsletter describing recent happenings, upcoming events and opportunities to volunteer.

The largest Booster Club endeavour, both in terms of required planning and profits, is the mulch sale. While the day of selling, stacking and spreading mulch occurs during the spring sports season, athletes from all teams are expected to advertise and lend a hand. This year’s sale

will be held on Saturday, April 22.

Residents in surrounding communities can pre-order bags of mulch and have student athletes deliver them to their doorstep.

In order for the process to move smoothly, the Booster Club has to recruit a substantial number of parent-volunteers willing to transport students and mulch all across town.

The event would not be possible without club members who are willing to sacrifice time, gas and a clean car to the occasion.

While the recent months have brought triumph to RM’s sports teams, there is no relation between athletic performance and revenue.

The prosperity of the club is heavily reliant on parent participation and their willingness to get involved. However, the steady income of Rocket victories certainly makes the volunteer work enjoyable.

“It would be impossible to run an athletic department without the Booster Club.”

- Chamy Wijeratne

Date

Game

3/21

Varsity Baseball @ Blake 3:45 p.m.

3/21

Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Gaithersburg 7:00 p.m.

3/21

Track and Field @ Churchill 3:30 p.m.

3/22

Boys Varsity Lacrosse @ Gaithersburg 7:15 p.m.

3/23

Varsity Softball vs. Rockville 3:45 p.m.

3/27

Varsity Tennis vs. Churchill 3:30 p.m.

3/27

Coed Volleyball vs. Blair 5:30 p.m.

3/30

Varsity Baseball @ Blair 7:00 p.m.

3/31

Boys Varsity Volleyball @ Whitman 5:30 p.m.

3/31

Boys Varsity Lacrosse @ Whitman 7:15 p.m.

Spring Sports Schedule

SPORTS

The Tide

March 2017

23

Tennis sets their sights high Softball fights back

by Michael Pan

by Orrin Ni

RM boys tennis, once considered an average team, has risen to top three in the county.

With the addition of many skilled players and renewed hard work and perseverance, the team overcame many obstacles in the past years to claim their place at the top.

A key factor that has contributed to the Rockets’ recent success is the development of new strategies and communication devices. When practicing and preparing for matches, Coach Fahrner works with the team to develop these plans beforehand.

Coach Fahrner has created different hand signs for doubles players to communicate effecitvely on the court.

“During practices, we get strategic...from the start and try to develop an effective strategy against the team we are going against,” Coach Fahrner explained.

To supplement this newfound strategic element to their game, the team focuses on improving their athletic capability and refining their stroke techniques.

Each practice is a mix of both physical conditioning and perfecting strokes.

During the spring season, girls varsity softball can be found slugging fast balls rain or shine.

Labeled as simply a less physical spin-off of baseball, the intricacies of the sport are often overlooked. But by spreading awareness about softball’s unique qualities, the girls seek to overcome this outdated misconception.

Compared to its more popular cousin, softball receives little attention.

Commonly thought of as less physically demanding and skillintensive than baseball, people overlook the achievements of its players.

“Last year the school made a huge hype about the varsity baseball team, but the softball team got none of that,” sophomore Daniela Brigatti said.

“It is frustrating how people take baseball more seriously.”

Junior Rosalind Silvers believes this popular sentiment serves to show how little the public truly understands the physical toughness and mentality required for the sport.

“Don’t get any hints from the word softball, it’s not soft,” Silvers said.

Although baseball and softball appear similar at first glance, there are actually many fundamental differences between the two.

A collegiate athlete and veteran to the sport, varsity coach Kelly Callan explained, “The pitching is different, the batting is different, the field is shorter,

“This year’s freshmen remind me of the freshmen that came a couple years ago. They have a lot of talent.”

- Oheneba Boetang

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Junior Oheneba Boetang hits a forehand during afternoon practice.

“Before each practice, we always run a mile to get us warmed up and make sure that we’re not neglecting our fitness,” junior Oheneba Boetang said.

“Aerobic fitness is not often associated with tennis, but it plays a large part,” junior Kyle Zhu said. “Tennis players have to constantly run back and forth across the court, and it’s really important that they are in shape so they don’t fatigue.”

The team must attend daily practices throughout the week.

Consistently attending practice is important for tennis players to hone their skills so they can perform at their best when it is time for a match.

Many members on the tennis team also practice outside of school, either recreationally or for a club. Occasionally, members of the team will get together and hit after school or on the weekends.

“I play recreationally with my friends and I also play at a club called Tennisplex to improve my skills,” junior Shoham Ghosh said.

“I used to play at Aspen Hill, but now I occasionally play with my friends outside of school for extra practice,” Zhu added.

Athletes must also focus on refining their mindsets. “When two players have a difference in skill level... the game is entirely physical. However, when two players are similar, it comes down to who has the mental fortitude to

pull through in the end,” Coach Fahrner explained.

“At the high school level, your mentality isn’t as important as your physicality, but for professionals your mentality is much more important,” Zhu explained.

This year’s freshmen class has brought a large number of promising recruits including Michael Pan, Max Deng, and Jason Yu. “This year’s freshmen remind me of the freshmen that came a couple years ago,” Boetang said.

“They have a lot of talent and a lot of them already play at a very high level.”

While the team doesn’t have any specific pre-game rituals, they do their best to hype each other up before a match. “We typically huddle around in a group, and the captains give a motivational speech, and then we give a loud yell and break,” Oheneba explained.

Despite the recent success of the tennis team, Coach Fahrner’s goal for the season is still relatively modest. “I think beating any team in Division 1 is good. If we stay in D1, I’ll be happy,” Coach Farhner stated.

The players have much higher ambitions. “I want to advance as far as we can in counties,” Zhu said. “I want us to be top of the county,” Ghosh added.

Regardless of individual ambitions, the team is certain to give it their all this season.

a catcher] constantly keeps me occupied, which I enjoy.”

Caprara and sophomore first baseman Ryan Migler are two examples of the love for baseball everyone on the team shares.

“I’ve always played first base-it definitely has the most action,” Migler said. “Pretty much every ground ball is thrown to first base. Baseball in general is just something I’ve loved doing since I was a younger.”

The Rockets are a part of the most

way to last spring’s state baseball championship. Despite their success in Montgomery County, they fell to Bel Air, a school from Harford County.

To prepare for the heavy competition among teams like QO, Coach Fear began off-season workouts weeks before the start of tryouts.

“We really pushed ourselves and took it seriously,” added Caprara. “ [ T h e

much of the mechanics of softball are fundamentally different than those in baseball.”

The smaller field makes for a more fast-paced playing style.

The girls have to react just as fast as baseball players.

“Softball players have to be tough, and you have to have grit. Whatever position you’re playing, you have to have a lot of stamina and never give up because of softball’s long duration,” sophomore Isabelle Levine explained.

Softball also suffers from the negative stigma surrounding girls sports.

“There’s an idea that girls can’t play sports as well as guys with the whole ‘You throw like a girl’ phrase,” Silvers explained.

“If you’ve ever seen a girl play softball, you’ll know that we can throw.”

The misconceptions surrounding softball extend beyond high school, cutting many potential players off from opportunities to further their careers.

“A lot girls just quit after high school because they know that if they aren’t the very best, there aren’t many opportunities at the professional and collegiate levels for them to play,” Coach Callan said.

“I think that softball serves to sort of push the misconceptions down and show others that girls really can play sports very well,” Silvers explained.

RM softball, along with teams around the country, are working to shift this perspective and are creating a better future for the game and improving the future for female athletics as a whole.

GRAPHIC BY ISABELLE ZHOU

Baseball looks to bounce back from hardship

by Sierra Longest To form a successful team, three things must come together: hard work, experience and motivation. After their Varsity team’s 2-15 season last year, Richard Montgomery baseball has plenty of each. The team looks to utilize these characteristics and make this a winning season.

“Last year was a tough season,” Varsity Head Coach Codey Fear admitted. “There were only three seniors, so we had a really young team.”

Coach Fear began coaching for the Rockets after a call from Mr. Freda alerted him to the open position. “I graduated from RM in 2002, and really just love the game of baseball,” Coach Fear said. “It was a good opportunity for me to...give back a little.”

To make up for the lack of seniors last season, Coach Fear pulled up several sophomores from their JV squad. One of the sophomores, now juniors, was catcher Alex Caprara.

“I like catching because it’s a lot of stuff to do. I don’t really have that much of an attention span,” Caprara said with a laugh.

“So when I’m out there, [being

competitive league in the county: 4A East. They face dominating schools like Sherwood, Walter Johnson, and Quince Orchard. QO beat RM last season 12-0 and made it all the

offseason GRAPHIC BY ISABELLE ZHOU

RM Baseball looks to start the season with a win against Rockville.

workouts] definitely brought our team closer and got us to motivate each other to work our hardest.”

The workouts worked to improve three key aspects of baseball: strength, speed, and stamina. Coach Fear got the team time in the weight room in addition to having them run outside on the track. The Rockets would even come to school early to get in a workout before class started.

“We did a lot of cardio, even though we didn’t like it, and it got everyone more in shape,” Migler admitted. “[Coach Fear] wanted to make sure we could play the full seven innings once the season actually started.”

The biggest change to come to the team this year, according to Coach Fear, is the mindset. “Believing that not only can we compete, but that we can win is going to be huge,” he said.

The mentality or attitude of a team impacts everything; the way they play, the way they practice, but most importantly: the way they work with each other.

“Pretty much everybody is close,” Migler said. “We like to joke around and have a lot of fun—both on and off the field.

But once it’s game time, everyone can get serious when we need to be.”

Both Coach Fear and Caprara agree that motivation will be vital in their future success.

“We struggled a lot with [motivating ourselves] as we went further into the season [last year],” Caprara said. “I’m hoping this year the team can come together and encourage each other.”

Coach Fear has high hopes for this upcoming season. With several juniors returning to make up the core of RM’s Varsity team, they’ll bring skill, maturity, and experience.

“I think [Coach Fear] has big aspirations and wants to make a lot of changes to the team,” Caprara said. “He really believes in our ability to win.”

“This year we just want to win,”Coach Fear said. “To do that we’ll have to compete, play hard, and give 100% every day.”

RM’s home opener is against Rockville on Thursday, March 23rd, a team they fell to last season 7-1. The Rockets are looking to rally Hell’s Kitchen at the rivalry match.

“At the end of the day, we all support each other,” said Caprara. “No matter happens on or off the field, we are a family.”

24

The Tide

SPORTS

Athlete of the Issue

March 2017

Corcoran sticks out in both lacrosse and hockey

by Jacob Logsdon Whether it’s a hot day on the RM turf or below freezing evening on the ice rink, you’re sure to see senior Kerri Corcoran hard at work being the best she can in both lacrosse and ice hockey.

She may be only 5’5”, but she carries herself and plays like a 7-footer.

At school, she is known for her hard work and dedication on the girls lacrosse team.

She played junior varsity lacrosse for one year and is currently in her third year on varsity.

She thrives on the lacrosse field, making most people expect lacrosse to be her main sport.

However, it may come as a surprise that, looking outside of school, ice hockey is where she commits the majority of her time.

“Lacrosse is my secondary sport so it’s always been something I do to just have some fun,” Corcoran said.

“It’s basically an outlet to have fun and spend time with friends outside of my rigorous hockey schedule that requires me to travel almost every other weekend.”

“The hardest part of lacrosse, just like any sport, is overcoming frustration,” she said.

“Sometimes there are practices and games where it seems like I just can’t make a pass or get a good shot off, and it’s really hard to recover from that.”

Many people would argue that sports teams help individuals to

bond and become close.

“The team has grown from being heavily reliant on the talent of individuals to a more dynamic team that relies on the hard work and grit of all the players on the field,” Corcoran explained.

Corcoran’s sports also require an abundance of commitment.

She plays hockey for the Washington Pride U19 Tier 1 College Prep team, which requires two hours of practice three to six times a week, as well as for the

hockey teams,” Corcoran stated.

“It takes a lot of time management, discipline and commitment,” Corcoran continued.

“It also requires me to sacrifice certain things that some take for

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC BLITZ

Kerri Corcoran skating across the rink and dodging players to prepare a apowerful shot into the opposite goal

Sports also help to teach the significance of memories and how it is important to hold onto them.

Corcoran describes some of her best memories as those made with her teammates, not those of winning a big game or scoring a great goal.

“Rushing onto the ice and piling onto my goalie after winning the JWHL 2016 League championship game in a shootout was something I will never forget,” she said.

RM lacrosse team, which consists of two hours of practice every weekday.

She travels from Vancouver to South Carolina, which makes time management crucial.

“Playing for the Pride is a huge commitment...we play over 62 games every season and, due to the fact that Maryland isn’t exactly a women’s ice hockey hotspot, we have to travel in order to play other competitive women’s ice

granted, like time going out with friends or spending quality time with my family.”

While sacrificing these things may not be ideal, it has helped set Corcoran Up for the future.

She is committed to New York’s Plattsburgh State University for hockey, a college that won the national D3 women’s ice hockey championship the last three years.

Plattsburgh State is the number one seed in the upcoming NCAA

women’s ice hockey playoffs.

Although this is a huge accomplishment, it is a rare opportunity that Corcoran has made for herself.

“One of the benefits of the grueling travel schedule that I had to endure with the Pride was the fact that we played a lot of our games at universities hosting major recruiting events, so I had the opportunity to get exposure as well as visit various schools,” she mentioned.

“I was often able to take side trips from tournaments in order to meet coaches and tour schools and I learned a lot of about the application and recruiting process,” Corcoran said.

“There are relatively few slots available for women’s ice hockey players, so you still have to maintain solid academics in order to be considered as a prospect.”

Overall, Corcoran committs 100% to everything she is involved in.

There are always obstacles on the road to accomplishing a goal, and when these obstacles appear it is really easy to lose motivation.

This is where commitment comes into play.

Commitment keeps us from losing motivation and provides us with the drive to succeed.

Sports have the ability to teach us a lot in life, and it has done so for Corcoran.

“It’s extremely stressful and demanding at times,” she mentioned. “ But it’s extremely fulfilling at the end of the day. If you are willing to go all in, it’s worth it.”

Volleyball teams fill in the voids left by seniors

by Jack Yang When March rolls around, the main gym fills with aspiring volleyball players looking to join RM’s volleyball teams. On one side of the gym, a crowd of both boys and girls are playing alongside one another, while on the other side, only boys are running drills.

Led by Coach Teresa Boyd, coed volleyball had an impressive showing in the 2016 season, dominating the regular season with a 10-1 record.

Despite being knocked out in the first round of playoffs, the team is preparing to come back stronger this year.

Over thirty people tried out for the coed team, leading this year’s team to be packed with talent.

Boys volleyball has even higher standards than in the past. With last year’s perfect regular season

“You have to try and not focus on the score and focus on playing well instead.”

- Lucas Frassrand

and county championship win, the returning players have to prove that they can once again establish their dominance.

“We had a lot of strong returning players who had many years of experience playing volleyball, whether it be club or high school,” senior Jack English said. “We graduated five players ,so we have some voids to fill.”

Despite the departure of several star seniors, the team believes they have what it takes.

English said, “We have a few strong returning players, and we have promising new players.”

Boys varsity volleyball coach Gretchen Barber-Strunk agrees with English’s views. “I’m hoping that my seniors will step right up and lead and fill those shoes that we lost from a couple big players,” Barber-Strunk said. “I think we had really good leadership last year. It took them the better part of three years to find a voice, but once they found it, they led really well.”

Leadership plays a key role in volleyball, as communication is vital on the court. If players aren’t aware of each other’s movements, they cannot work as a coherent team.

“It is a very big mental game,” Barber-Strunk stated. “On an average day, it’s 50% mental... everybody can have a bad skill day, but mentally, it’s if you can bounce back from making a mistake that is going to make or break your game.”

Sophomore Lucas Frassrand explained, “Volleyball is definitely a sport that depends on your mindset, because if you think you’re gonna lose you’ll probably lose and if you think you’re gonna do well you’re probably gonna do well.”

No matter the physicality of a player, without a growth mindset they will not be able to perform well on the court.

Every season, there are important games where the team desperately needs to win. When it gets down to those final moments, players face intense pressure and need to come back from mistakes and push themselves until the end of the game.

“You have to try and not focus on the score and focus on playing well instead, which is pretty hard when the games are intense,” Frassrand explained.

English agreed, “It’s point after point, so if you fall apart then you can really play below your potential, but with the mental aspect you can also play much above your potential.”

Every athlete has potential, but how they use it is what matters matters in the end. Newcomers on both volleyball teams have demonstrated that potential, and it is up to the coaches and the veterans to help them reach that potential.

“Hopefully we can teach some of the new freshmen guys what’s up, how to play some good volleyball,” Frassrand said.

The coed and boys seasons are fast-paced, with scrimmages and games every week. The players have to balance these events

strong program again.”

Both coaches are enthusiastic about their teams. “We have to work on the chemistry of the

around their schedules and focus on improving their own skills.

“I feel good after watching tryouts,” Strunk mentioned. “I feel like we’re going to have a

current group,” Barber-Strunk said. “But I think that we should be, and I’m hopeful that we can be one of the stronger programs, if not the strongest one.”