The Tide - October 2021

News 2-3

Opinions 4-6

Social Justice 7

Centerspread 8-9

Features 10-11

Vaccine deadline looms for staff

by Matthew Miller NEWS WRITER

All MCPS employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 29 under a new mandate—one of many efforts to combat a global pandemic which the CDC says has killed over 700,000 and infected over 44 million Americans.

The resolution, passed unanimously by the MCPS Board of Education on Sept. 9, dictates that all MCPS staff—barring exceptions for those with document-

ed medical or religious exemptions—must submit proof of full immunization against COVID-19

by Oct. 29. MCPS staff had previously been allowed to forgo vaccination in favor of compliance with weekly testing, but this option has been eliminated under the new requirements.

MCPS staff who are in the process of vaccination but are not yet fully immunized must, in the meantime, comply with weekly COVID-19 testing, as must those who are exempt for medical or religious reasons.

“Because we interact with hun-

dreds of other people a day in our schools, I agree that all MCPS staff should be vaccinated,” government teacher William Vicari said.

“Unless and until daily rapid testing becomes available on a wide scale, this is the best way to ensure the safest environment possible in our schools.”

However, new requirements have been met with some opposition. An online petition with over 1,000 signatures from those claiming to be MCPS teachers and staff has called for the Board of Education to reverse the decision.

“We have a variety of reasons for declining to submit to COVID vaccinations,” the petition reads, “ranging from concern about its effectiveness to concerns about its side-effects, to our own personal health situations and history, to strongly held religious beliefs … For all of these reasons, we submit that the Board’s recent vaccine mandate is not only unwise for the sake of the school system, but it unlawfully infringes on our right to make our own medical decisions under threat of terminating our employment.“

PHOTO BY DELANEY CRAWLEY

Many pharmacies, such as CVS, offer COVID-19 vaccines at no cost.

VACCINE, cont. page 3

Students don creative masks

by Johnny Sheng FEATURES WRITER

As nearly two hundred thousand students and staff return to schools across Montgomery County amidst the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the one thing virtually every member of the MCPS student body has in common is a mask, and yet a quick stroll through the hall-

ways of Richard Montgomery High School dispels any notion of uniformity. Instead of a sea of faces covered with teal blue surgical masks, there is a menagerie of varying designs highly reflective of the diverse group of students who attend RM. Junior Ellison Mohan dons a light grey face covering with a printed camouflage pattern.

For him, picking which mask to wear for the day was not a com-

plicated decision. “I have a little collection of them--like ten or so masks,” Mohan said. “I just choose randomly out of that.”

Although comfort was a major factor that went into his choice of mask, Mohan also took into consideration the design and appearance of what he chose to wear. “I like the unique look of it,” Mohan said of his camouflage mask, preferring its more unique design.

MASKS, cont. page 11 MASKS, cont. page ###

GRAPHIC BY CHRISTIANA VUCEA

Inside The Tide...

Opinions, 5 Rocket Refresh

Features, 10 Grandparents

Arts 12-14

Sports 15-16

PHOTO BY VICTORIA DZIASEK

An uptick in driver resignations has led to the ongoing bus shortage.

Driver shortage slows buses

by Athira Nair, Samantha Wu and Hrishita Mareddy OPINIONS EDITOR, NEWS EDITOR, AND NEWS WRITER

As students return to school, dozens of Montgomery County bus drivers are not returning to work, resulting in countywide transportation struggles.

According to MCPS officials, an upsurge of retirements and a lack of aggressive hiring has contributed to the shortage.

According to MCPS Director of Transportation Todd Watkins, there is a 10 percent shortage in total drivers. COVID-19 seems to be the main cause attributed to the spike in driver resignations. “This kind of shortage of employees everywhere has been significantly impacted by the pandemic,” Watkins said.

“More [drivers] have left, and gone to other opportunities.”

- Todd Watkins “Many of the [drivers] were concerned about health things, particularly older people, who have just taken this as a reason to retire,” bus supervisor Chris Bull said.

Another reason for the shortage is the wide range of jobs available for holders of a commercial driver’s license, or CDL. “The wages for other CDL commercial drivers license holders were higher than MCPS was paying, so people would come, get paid, get their CDL as a part of the training, and work for a little bit, and then go drive garbage trucks,” Bull said.

Once the school year began,

the county saw a large influx in resignations and retirees much more than usual years due to the hold-off from the pandemic.

“We generally need to hire between two to three hundred drivers a year, just to handle turnover from people retiring, from people going to other CDL opportunities, from folks going to other places in the school system … because we’re one of the entry points,” Watkins said.

He confirmed that MCPS did meet the annual quota of newly hired operators, but that still wasn’t enough to fill the hole of drivers that left post-pandemic. “More people have left, and gone to other opportunities or have not returned from the pandemic and things like that.

So that’s where we are short.”

There are multiple ramifications to this shortage here at RM and in the surrounding areas.

Fewer drivers lead to reduced capacities, and the transportation system has turned to a practice of “doubling back,” or having bus drivers run a morning or afternoon route twice to bring all of the students to their destinations.

“It means that the community and the students have had to be a little bit more flexible either getting home a little later or waking up a little earlier to get to the bus stop,” Mr. Jelen, Magnet Coordinator at RM said.

Watkins, described the impacts of doubling back as a domino effect, which primarily affects non-magnet routes. “That ripple effect is mostly concentrated on ‘regular-ed routes’, those neighborhood routes in schools. In the world of magnet, those are already long runs, so you can’t really double those back,” he said.

BUSES, cont. page 2

Arts, 13

Sports, 16

Netflix’s Squid Game

Balancing Sports and School

2

The Tide

BUSES, cont. from page 1 Some students have taken to driving themselves to school to avoid longer bus routes.

This has created a pattern of traffic and congestion surrounding RM in the early mornings, further slowing bus routes. “There’s a lot of traffic, I would say it takes 15 minutes to get into the school building,” junior Crystal Li said.

The shortage has also led to errors in the transportation process. On Sept. 1, when the county declared an early release

October 2021

NEWS

day to shelter students from severe weather, some routes faced difficulties or arrived late.

Route 4998 did not arrive at all.

“We have all the supervisors out driving every single day, every single run, so it’s really a problem for us, to keep all the runs covered,” Bull, the driver of that route, said. “Nobody told me there was a weather alert.

Apparently my supervisor had the wrong telephone number so I didn’t find out until it was an hour late basically, and I did the best I could. And we didn’t have

anybody to cover it. And that’s the other issue with the driver shortage. There’s nobody in reserve should anything go wrong.”

To avoid doubling back, some of the magnet buses that run single routes have taken on extra stops and are on the verge of overcrowding. Some students have complained of potential safety hazards, from both the nature of the buses and the unwanted proximity of other students during a pandemic.

“From what I’ve seen on my bus, when there are kids stand-

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

ing in the rows, whenever the bus makes really sharp turns or stops really abruptly the kids get launched. Like you would have to hold on to the bus seats so you don’t fall and hit something,” Veeksha Parasa, a senior at Poolesville High School said. “And I’m pretty sure it’s a hazard to have kids standing in that row when it’s supposed to be an exit route.”

“I have never in my [nine years] as an MCPS [principal], been aware of a bus driver shortage… so this is a new challenge,” Principal Alicia Deeny said.

In their approach to fix the problem, MCPS has implemented new efforts and procedures to appeal to young bus operators looking for work. These measures include raising wages from $17 to $19.53 an hour and guaranteeing six working hours instead of four, according to Watkins.

In addition to increasing job benefits, MCPS is putting more effort into physical recruitment.

“We are increasing the number of people who are training new people to be able to get them, once we identify a good candidate to get them on the road, get them all the training they need, without any delays,” Watkins said.

“Montgomery County is a little bit more fortunate in that we didn’t lay off bus drivers

“We have all the supervisors out driving every single day, every single run.”

- Chris Bull during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Student Member of the Board Hana O’Looney said.

In MCPS, bus drivers were employed in alternative activities like handing out lunches and delivering technology when students were quarantined from school during the pandemic. According to NPR, states like Massachusetts have resorted to using the National Guard to drive buses.

But despite the problem, MCPS is not dropping its standards for hiring. Watkins said, “We want to keep hiring great bus operators, and not out of desperation in our shortage, we don’t want to hire people who shouldn’t be driving students. So that’s a fine balance to keep there, and we will, we want to solve it quickly, but we want to make sure we do it in a way that keeps kids safe.’”

RM unrolls Rocket Refresh and new advisory structure

by Davi Jacobs FEATURES EDITOR

After hearing the positive feedback towards last year’s weekly C Day from students and staff, the administrative team made the decision to implement Rocket Refresh days this year, which hold a similar purpose to their C Day prototype.

Rocket Refresh occurs roughly four times per quarter and its schedule was strategically placed around interims and near the end of the quarter.

During the Summer, 9th Grade Administrator Mr. Durbin worked with the Instructional Leadership Team and a committee of ten other staff members to plan Rocket Refresh. Staff were informed of the new sched-

ule change during pre-service.

“We wanted to keep the spirit of C Days without shutting down classes for the whole day,” Durbin said. “It’s [Rocket Refresh] a pause- let’s not do anything new today and catch up to where we should be.”

“It’s a place to check off things that are interruptions to the school day normally.”

- Scott Durbin Many students feel that Rocket Refresh is a much needed asset to their busy schedules. “Transitioning from online learning to

in-person learning will take me some time to get used to,” senior Gloria Moudou said. “On these days, I could talk to teachers or peers about things that I may be confused about, want to review, or am simply curious about, all without worrying about taking up too much class time during a structured lesson.”

Freshman Nhi Li shared a similar view. “I was able to get a lot of work done today and I was able to do a retake, which was great,” she said. “I also didn’t have that much work assigned in my classes which was relieving.”

Another schedule change invoked this year is advisory following third period.

“Advisory is held every single week on Wednesday and really, it’s a place to check off things that are interruptions to the school

October/November

day normally,” Durbin said.

The slideshow presentation shown on advisory day is curated by around 15 staff members who plan out advisory lessons that are important based on the calendar. At the end of September, there was a lesson on Hispanic Heritage Month.

“We just fill in what we think is needed on the calendar and then we reach out to folks that are experts to help develop lessons,” Durbin said. To receive more staff and student creations of lessons, the committee reached out to LGBTQ+ teacher Ms. Furman and her students to write a presentation on gender and sexuality.

The seemingly random placement of advisory has a purpose.

“If you made it at the very beginning of the day, the worry is folks would not come to the ad-

SGA announces homecoming court

by Claire Yu NEWS WRITER

October 11

Spirit Week Five themes brough to you by the SGA: PJs, tropical tourist, class color, jerseys and school colors

October 15

Homecoming Game RM vs WJ = GOLD OUT!!!

October 16

Homecoming Dance Saturday night lights?

October 31

Halloween It’s spooky szn

visory since it’s not part of their regular schedule, or if you put it before or right after lunch, you’ll run into people trying to get out of the building, or show up late,” Durbin said. “So the third period is the time where you’re book ended with classes, so you should be in the building and go to advisory after third period.”

After the end of first semester, staff and students will provide feedback on Rocket Refresh; the evaluation will provide guidance for how Rocket Refresh should look in second semester. But for now, the majority of students and staff are satisfied. “Rocket Refresh is a good idea and it should happen more often, especially since we are getting tons of work and quizzes,” Li said. “It’s a good opportunity for us to work on our academics and on ourselves.”

On Oct. 5, the SGA announced the members of the Homecoming Court through a message on Canvas.

During halftime at the Homecoming Game on October 15 against Walter Johnson, RM officially introduced its Homecoming Court and crowned Homecoming Royalty on the football field.

At the Homecoming Dance the following day, the court GRAPHIC BY ARYAN CHANDA

performed dances in front of students. “Since it is my senior year, I sort of want to make sure that I do everything that I’ve always ever wanted to do,” senior Carolyn Lee said, “And I don’t quite want senior year to end with any regrets.”

The court this year consists of seniors, Lulu August, Carolyn Lee, Hana O’Looney, Victoria Koretsky, Cori Freundlich, PJ Hayes, Nick Buckovich, Kyson Taylor, Leonardo Peele, Corrigan Peters, Lauren Campano, Madeline Lawrence, Kathleen Cole, Maria Coutoulakis, Terra Pickett, Daniella Mehlek-Dawveed, Eileen Chen, Feileen Li, Peampat Suphaphon, and Mirabella Funk.

Kyson Taylor and Lulu August were crowned royalty.

NEWS

The Tide

October 2021

3

NEWS IN BRIEF County Council reduces RideOn fees

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

VACCINE, cont. page 1 Nonetheless, MCPS Department of Communications Director Chris Cram told WUSA9 that approximately 80 percent of MCPS employees—nearly 25,000 people—had received their vaccines as of late September.

MCPS has also announced that it will now offer religious exemptions to the mandate.

This follows a federal lawsuit filed by an unidentified administrative employee—a devout Christian, according to Bethesda Magazine—who argues that the mandate is discriminatory and violates his constitutional rights.

“He holds the sincere belief that obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination would conflict with the edicts of his religion and, therefore, that obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine would constitute a sin in the eyes of God,” court documents state.

In addition to the requirements for school staff, the Board has mandated that all student athletes who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine must submit proof of vaccination in order to participate in school athletics, starting Nov. 15.

Another push to expand vaccinations in Montgomery Coun-

ty has been spearheaded by Montgomery County Council members Hans Riemer and Will Jawando, the Washington Post reports, who have introduced legislation that, if passed, would mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all county employees—approximately 9,000 individuals. Under the bill, those who fail to comply would be given 40 days to come into compliance before facing termination.

These efforts follow several vaccine mandates issued by Maryland and the federal government. In August, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare workers and nursing home employees, according to Maryland.gov.

In early September, President Biden ordered that all businesses with more than a hundred employees require their workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing.

President Biden also mandated vaccinations for large swathes of health care workers, as well as most employees of the federal government, with no option to instead comply with weekly testing.

The Center for Disease Con-

trol’s COVID Data Tracker reports that, of those in Montgomery County 12 years of age or older (i.e. those currently eligible for the vaccine), 90.2 percent are fully vaccinated, and 96.6 percent of residents older than 65 years have been fully vaccinated as of Oct. 15.

These are significantly higher than nationwide rates, where 65.3 percent of the total population has received at least one dose and 66 percent of those over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated.

According to MCPS, there have been five confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Richard Montgomery High School. The most recent infected individual was last present in the building on Sept. 28.

MCPS follows contact tracing guidelines of the Department of Health and Human Services. If MCPS determines that an unvaccinated student was exposed to COVID-19, the student’s family will be notified via a letter.

The student must self-quarantine for ten days; quarantining students may not return to the building until the ten days have elapsed, regardless of any possible negative COVID-19 test during the ten-day period.

On Oct. 5, the Transportation and Environment Committee of the Montgomery County Council introduced legislation to halve the standard Ride On bus fare from $2 to $1. The reduction will go into effect on Jan. 2, 2022, up until which point Ride On will be free, just as it has been since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Aside from indefinitely lowering the basic fare from $2 to $1, the bill also lowers express route fares from $4.25 to $1 and monthly passes from $45 to $22.50.

County Executive Marc Elrich proposed the fare reductions to Council President Tom Hucker in response to the Fare Equity Study, an investigation the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) conducted over the past few months that analyzed how Ride On fares affected their ridership and revenue in the long term, with the goal of improving overall ridership by making public transit more accessible.

“We did not see the drop-off in ridership on Ride On that we saw on Metro rail as many low-income and essential workers needed to get to work,” Hucker said. He noted in a media briefing that frontline workers were especially reliant on Ride On services throughout the pandemic.

By Julianne Cruz GRAPHICS EDITOR

Rockville Metro undergoes construction From Sept. 11- Dec. 4, the Rockville Metro station will be closed for construction, impacting many students and staff commuters. This construction is due to safety concerns with the canopy that sits over the station.

The canopy, installed in 1979, was long due for repairs and will be demolished and reconstructed in a three-month-long process. The pre-construction process began in summer 2021, while the station was still in use.

In previous years, the Rockville Metro station had an average of 4,200 riders per weekday. A large percentage of those riders were students or teachers at RM or Montgomery College, or people who worked nearby.

COVID-19 has impacted commuters’ willingness to take public transportation, but as businesses and offices begin to reopen this year, the number of people riding buses and the Metro have increased. From the beginning of Jan. 2021 to early Sept. 2021, daily Metro riders have almost doubled in size. The sudden and extended closure of the Rockville Metro station would rapidly scale back the number of riders passing through the fare gates.

WMATA, the Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority, has been investing in the maintenance and improvement of stations across the area.

“This new platform canopy will have the same design as the old one,” Colleen Martin, a reporter for the Bethesda Patch, said.

Improvements include brighter and more efficient LED lighting, new public service announcement speakers, more passenger information displays and upgraded security cameras.

By Samantha Cutler

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MCPS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NEWS WRITER

Bethesda artist commemorates virus victims

by Hannah Lee NEWS WRITER

“It looks like it’s snowing in September.”

Vast, orderly rows of white, at a faraway glance like fields of tulips, but at a closer look something more serious: this is what tourists visiting the National Mall in Washington, D.C. saw from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3.

Designed by Bethesda artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, it is actually a memorial of over 600,000 white flags commemorating Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19. The labor-intensive temporary homage was taken down on Oct. 3.

“When numbers become too big and words no longer are listened to, it’s time to use art. ” - Suzanne Firstenberg

Hundreds of volunteers along with organizations like Ruppert Landscape, a landscaping service in Montgomery County, helped install the flags on over 20 acres of the National Mall under the Washington Monument. Each one has a personal message written by the victim’s loved ones.

“Wish I had one more day. Love you always, Daddy,” one of the notes reads.

The memorial, named “In America: Remember,” is not the first of its kind. In the fall of 2020, Firstenberg had taken on a similar project, where she installed 270,000 white flags outside the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in D.C. to represent American COVID deaths so far. Between then and now, almost 400,000 more have died.

Even during this year’s installation process, according to NPR, Firstenberg had to order 60,000 more white flags after checking the CDC’s latest death counts.

It was the weight of numbers that first inspired Firstenberg.

According to the Bethesda Beat, she had been working as a hospice volunteer for 25 years when she heard a politician call 170,000 deaths “just a statistic.” This did not sit well with her, and she wanted to challenge the notion

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETHESDA BEAT

Local artist Suzanne Firstenberg created a memorial of over 600,000 white flags, symbolizing COVID deaths. that any death was insignificant.

“As the number becomes larger, it becomes easier to dismiss because people can’t comprehend it,” Firstenberg told the Bethesda Beat. “So when numbers become too big and words no longer are listened to, it’s time to use art. A death count is just a data point, but art allows people to viscerally feel the toll.”

According to her website, Firstenberg was not always an artist. But after enjoying an adult clay sculpting class and becoming skilled in other forms of sculpting, she began to pursue ways

she could combine visual arts with her humanitarian ambitions.

“In America: Remember” represents Firstenberg’s style: visually pleasing, but embedded with meaning. Onlookers were reportedly filled at first with admiration then with a sense of the tragedy of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m very touched by it,” Abigail Wei, a D.C. resident, said.

“I think that the visual representation is really powerful, especially because it’s in the heart of our country’s capital, where a lot of decisions are made, and where, you know, the govern-

ment is. Hopefully it’s a reminder for the government to recognize it and try to do everything they can to protect us.”

“It’s very beautiful. Very thoughtful of the artist,” junior Aaron Northern said.

Many came as tourists, but some came to mourn. “Those who’ve come to write on flags, they’ve told me repeatedly, ‘We feel like we’re no longer alone.’ They realized that all this time they were grieving in isolation—they have a lot of company,” Firstenberg told NBC Washington.

4 The Tide

October 2021

OPINIONS

Students struggle with mental health returning from quarantine

by Livia Venditti OPINIONS WRITER

There is a growing crisis in America: the mental health pandemic. The back-to-school season is always full of nerves but coming back to in-person school after over a year of virtual learning has created a myriad of new challenges. From intensive workloads to adapting to the new norms of in-person school, there is a pattern across the country of rising mental health issues for youth, teens and young adults. Richard Montgomery students are no exception to this trend, but steps are already being taken to help.

Stressors such as the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19 or fear of contracting the virus can impair a student’s confidence in returning to school.

The new COVID-19 procedures also force students to meet new people and interact whilst under masks, hindering verbal communication as well as the ability to read body language and emo-

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH DOMORAD

tions. “It was a big transition for sure from online to in-person,” sophomore Daniel Suh said.

Virtual schooling allowed for time to complete assignments, in which many students excelled and may therefore be nervous to return to in-person tests and work. “So many students have reported and continue to report that they are tired, overwhelmed and exhausted,” counselor Brigid McKelvey said. Alternatively, for some students virtual school was difficult to engage with and feel as if they missed a year of learning.

Some of the most reported struggles of students have been the physical and mental drain of a full school day, frustration over low grades and inability to focus. “The single biggest change so far seems to be a return to the physical and cognitive demands of learning in class in a school building 7 hours a day, 5 days a week,” Ms. McKelvey said. These stem directly from being accustomed to the comforts of virtual learning as well as the difficulty of fully engaging with virtual class.

Many also felt the loss of community support that was unavailable during quarantine. The detachment from friends and difficulty of making new friendships over Zoom can make students nervous about returning without seeing their classmates for over a year; or for some, the first time.

Virtual schooling lacked the opportunity to create personal connections with both teachers and classmates, which can be vital for making students feel comfortable in a class. The disconnection from

Sports bring back school spirit

by Kara Venditti and Francesca Venditti OPINIONS WRITERS

School sports are an epicenter of a high school experience. From football games to swim meets, school sports build community and showcase school spirit. After nearly a year without school sports, the urge to join in on the fun is rampant among the student population. However, with the delta variant increasing infection rates, restarting school sports in-person is a seemingly implausible option without strict protocols.

“People congregating maskless ... needs to be addressed ... through staggered practices.”

suring the well-being of the community. Fortunately, this issue has not gone unaddressed and authorities in many counties, including Montgomery County, are mandating vaccines for athletes.

Although reinstating in-person school sports is still worrying due to the ongoing pandemic, MCPS is following guidance from prominent health institutions like the CDC to take the correct precautions. Despite anxiety about sports this fall and beyond, some athletes who are participating in reopened sports are finding it a welcome change from last year and are excited to once again play in-person.

“I am very happy that they reopened in-person sports because I love playing and this is my last season,” senior Hope Hetrick, a player on the girls varsity soccer team, said. The pandemic has derailed plans for sports, preventing many athletes from pursuing their passions. Considering the great proportion

of students deeply affected by the isolation of the pandemic, in-person sports revive a sense of school unity, but can only continue if they are properly managed.

For the past two years, sports have taken a different form with abbreviated seasons. Cancelling in-person sports altogether would have a far more negative impact than having athletes comply with COVID-19 safety measures.

Physical activity can reduce depression and anxiety, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Encouraging students to engage in a sport this year positively impacts their mental health especially after a year of isolation.

With vaccine mandates and social distancing policies in place, reopening these sports appears to be a relatively safe process considerate of lingering concerns.

In-person sports are more popular than ever, allowing students to reconnect with a range of athletic interests and interactive fun!

- Amanda Wu Participation in school sports comes with the expectation that student athletes will be unmasked and in close proximity. This correlates to a rise in COVID-19 cases, as officials have reported in Fairfax County, VA according to PEW. A dangerous spike in cases may occur if meticulous guidelines are not established.

Though many argue that decisions should be left to individuals, it is imperative that there are safe practices in place while reopening sports in-person. “The issue of large groups of people congregating maskless for practices ... needs to be addressed ... through staggered practices,” senior Amanda Wu said.

Besides practice regulations, vaccine mandates are critical as they decrease the risk of contracting severe COVID-19 cases and protect students and staff. Without them, it would be impossible to safely reopen sports while en-

social networks and friends can be nerve-wracking, especially for students new to high school. “It’s been odd since this is, I guess, my first actual year of high school,” sophomore Dylan Weng said.

“Students have reported...they are tired, overwhelmed and exhausted,” - Brigid McKelvey Students are not alone in being anxious, overwhelmed and stressed, which is why initiatives like Rocket Refresh have set out to support students and provide time to catch up on work. But although a good start, its execution has not been as successful as planned. Weng said, “I hate Rocket Refresh. I feel like it pushes tests to certain days because you can’t do any tests on Wednesday.”

Some other examples of resources offered to students of RM are the ongoing academic support offered by teachers to help students regain lost skills and the school-wide Wellness Committee that overlooks the overall wellness of the student body. “In each department and across our leadership team we are constantly looking at how to put the student experience first in our planning,” Ms. McKelvey said. There are also student-led opportunities to discuss mental health such as the RM Minds Matter club which will partner with the Counseling office to run a series of Mental Health Awareness activities from Nov. 8-13.

The impact of this pandemic will be felt long after quarantine.

RM is growing and adapting as a community, making student mental health a priority now more than ever before. However, there is a lot of work to be done not just at Richard Montgomery but in MCPS, Maryland and schools across the country.

Cartoon Corner

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 2.

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

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

PHOTO BY VICTORIA DZAISEK

Maria Larkin from the junior varsity volleyball team just recieved the vaccine, a new mandate for student athletes.

Editors-in-Chief..............................................Nicole Fang, Victoria Tong, Delaney Crawley News...................................................................................Samantha Wu, Avani Ambardekar Opinions.................................................................Athira Nair, Rohan Dewan, Rachel Wang Centerspread...................................................................................Natalie Weger, Shuxin Dai Features..............................................................................................Davi Jacobs, Niki Esmaili Arts..................................................................................................Raha Murtuza, Claire Chen Sports................................................................Maggie Orcev, Kevin Zhang, Corrigan Peters Social Justice.....................................................Helina Tamiru, Charlyn Chu, Elfreda Raven Photo...................................................................................................Ella Koenig, Lynna Deng Graphics................................................................Julianne Cruz, Caleb Collins, Evelyn Shue TidePod........................................................................................Courtney Kim, Jupleen Kaur Video................................................................................Avery Wang, Eashana Subramanian Social Media Manager..............................................................................Kobin Asafu-Adjaye Crossword..............................................................................................................Myka Fromm Sponsors..........................................................................Ms. Jennifer Kidd, Ms. Bonnie Peyer

OPINIONS

The Tide

October 2021

5

Black & Gold Does Rocket Refresh help students?

Yes, it alleviates stress and students have a chance to catch up on work

by Lydia Yeh

OPINIONS WRITER

NE

UZ

CR

B

Black

GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW ADJODHA

AN LI JU

Not only does providing a break to students through Rocket Refreshes help the mental wellbeing of many, the placement of these days in the week also helps aid the transition into in person school. People continually look forward to the Rocket Refresh in the middle of the week. “It gives me something to look forward to. A lot of the time, it can feel like there’s so much coming at you all the time with no stops, especially in junior year, so having that day in the middle of the week to breathe on has been amazing,” junior Edwin Jiang said. After a full year of school for only four days a week at home, going back to school full-time can feel brutal. However, with four Rocket Refresh days placed strategically throughout the quarter, paired with other helpful guidelines like homework-free weekends, students can feel more supported and less overwhelmed.

After being in a global pandemic while also trying to learn in school, the year being filled with empty Zoom screens and a lack of face-to-face interactions, socializing is now more important than ever. However, finding the time to interact with teachers and connect is almost impossible. Every day starts feeling like the class is falling further

High school students across Montgomery County were thrilled last year at the county’s decision to only have four school days per week. Wednesdays were the perfect time to catch up on sleep and schoolwork, and a stress reliever from energy draining virtual school. However, with the return to in-person, many students struggled to readjust to longer and earlier school days, having grown used to a year of rolling out of bed and in front of a computer screen.

Richard Montgomery raised hopes when it announced it was trying to implement a milder form of no-school Wednesdays: Rocket Refresh.

Unfortunately, it is now abundantly clear that Rocket Refresh days are failing at their purpose.

For students, they are essentially regular school days that do not achieve the effect of “C” days.

They are frustrating, yet administrators pat themselves on the back for solving a problem that still persists. For some teachers, Rocket Refresh days are a waste of important class time when content could be taught.

Teachers are forced to cram in content in the days before a Rocket Refresh. After just completing a quiz, students were not given the typical time to relax afterwards and had to quickly switch gears as the teacher began a new concept with only a few min utes of class time remaining. Teachers have to alter their teaching plans to the detriment of student learning because of BY

- Grant Goldstein

SENIOR OPINIONS WRITER

IC

“There should be a chance to take a breath.”

by Sagar Castleman

H AP GR

With the return to in-person school, Richard Montgomery has implemented a new measure to help students adjust: Rocket Refresh Days. On these days, teachers cannot teach any new material or assign new assignments, letting students catch a breath during the middle of the week. Rocket Refresh Days are effective in alleviating student stress, not only being a temporary transitory measure from online school, but also a potentially permanent help to a student’s mental health.

Nowadays, it is common for teenagers to feel overloaded with work, and in a school like RM, ripe with competitiveness and pressure, taking a break can be hard.

Implementing a school-given time to slow down and relax helps students deal with the strain put on them on a daily basis. “In my years of teaching, I’ve seen people’s stress levels just get worse and worse and worse… more stress, more anxiety, more depression - widespread. Anything we can do to counteract that is a long term strategy,” English teacher Bonnie Peyer said. Coming back from a year of virtual learning and living through a global pandemic, many students are having a hard time adjusting to the pressures of in-person school, making Rocket Refreshes beneficial to stressed high schoolers.

and further behind, with even more to catch up on, so starting simple conversations and forging relationships with teachers becomes difficult. These low intensity Rocket Refresh days have given students more time to relate to teachers and get to know them as people. “I’ve really liked the two Rocket Refresh days we’ve had so far because...we can take time to relax and get t o know our teachers and let our teachers get to know us,” Junior Paris Ye said, In RM where club culture thrives and extracurriculars are very valuable, finding time during lunch or after school, between all the club meetings and sports practices, to talk to teachers or reassess assignments can feel impossible. Having built-in time to have these discussions and reassess assignments during Rocket Refreshes greatly relieves the pressure a student can feel to stay on top of everything they are doing, including their schoolwork.

Not only are these Rocket Refresh days a short term measure to help kids help transition back into in person school, they should be kept as a permanent fixture to help students’ mental health in the near and distant future. “I would keep it indefinitely...it’s reasonable, it’s not that much time, but at the same time, it lets students know that these opportunities will come and that you know, there should be a chance to take a breath,” English teacher Grant Goldstein said. These refreshes are a great way to remind students that RM prioritizes a student’s mental health.

The system of Rocket Refresh Days will improve as time goes on and are ultimately beneficial to students. They let students have a chance to step back and focus on their mental health, helping provide natural breaks within the week and time to reassess or talk to teachers. It also provides the unique opportunity to take class time to relax in the middle of the week, and allows students opportunities to be the teenagers they could not be while stuck behind a Zoom screen.

No, it is another failed attempt from adminstration to help students

Rocket Refresh days. “Forcing teachers to not teach on certain days makes a tough job even more challenging,” physics teacher Charles Goetz said.

Most teachers had no input on the creation of these non-teaching days, which has led to further exasperation. “Sometimes it can be hard because I’ll already be behind and then there’s a day where I can’t teach anything,” chemistry teacher Stuart Albaugh said. “I try to embrace it because I can’t do anything about it.”

Even if teachers are unhappy about Rocket Refresh days, it was designed with the students in mind so that they can have a less stressful day. However, teachers still often give large assignments a day or two before the Rocket Refresh day, and then give the Wednesday class to work on this assignment, which is inevitably due soon.

G

Gold This is hardly a break. “If you didn’t tell me that it was a Rocket Refresh day, I wouldn’t have known,” senior Anurag Gowda said.

Students may also suffer in the long term from Rocket Refresh days. Curricula are specifically created to utilize the 180 school days of the year. Yet, when a tenth of those days are lost some teachers may struggle to get through all of their class’s content. “I imagine it’s really frustrating for teachers— in harder classes, I could imagine towards the end of the school year when we’re studying for AP exams and stuff, material we need to learn could potentially be hurt

by Rocket Refresh,” junior Kevin Baer said.

For some teachers, the solution to this problem is to ignore Rocket Refresh days altogether and continue with class as planned. This only further frustrates students who expected a low-energy free day and instead have to reckon with a typical workload. “If you look at a math or language class, they don’t really care about Rocket Refresh—they’ll just give you all the work that they have to give you,” sophomore Yumin Lim said.

“Material we need to learn could potentially be hurt.”

- Kevin Baer

Rocket Refresh is also inextricably linked with another of the administration’s most useless initiatives—weekly advisory classes. Although many people enjoy homeroom as a time to catch up on some sleep, most are simply bemused at how utterly purposeless it is. “I feel like it’s kind of giving you way too much time to do nothing,” Lim said. “You go to homeroom and you see your friends or other students in the classroom doing literally nothing. The homeroom teacher doesn’t really do anything and it just makes all the other classes five minutes shorter.”

No party benefits from Rocket Refresh days. Teachers are frustrated by the loss of teaching time and students see little difference between Rocket Refresh days and normal days but are disappointed at these various failed attempts to “relieve student stress” which do nothing of the sort. “It just doesn’t seem like there’s any advantage to these Rocket Refresh days,” Lim said.

If the administration really wants to help both students and teachers during a difficult school year, it should consider alternatives that relieve stress instead of causing frustration. This system would be similar to the much loved schedule of last year, when students and teachers alike agreed that Wednesdays were a relaxing and much-needed break from the stresses of high school.

GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW ADJODHA

6

OPINIONS

The Tide

October 2021

Texas abortion ban impacts women across the nation

by Maria Alba-Rivera SENIOR OPINIONS WRITER

The new Texas “heartbeat” act, or Texas Senate Bill 8, pushed by Texas Republicans, robs women of their bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. The bill prohibits women from having an abortion after they are six weeks pregnant - even if they were victims of rape or incest. It also peprosecutes those helping women get abortions by incentivizing common citizens to file lawsuits against “accomplices” with a reward of at least $10,000. The bill uses of private cause of action to evade judicial review by not allowing pregnant women to be victims of these lawsuits. The law is nothing more than a disgusting attempt to further oppress women.

Forcing any woman to have a child is an inhumane invasion of privacy and violation of basic human rights. “It goes against everything Roe v. Wade was about and criminalizes abortion. Obviously a fetus’ life is important but in the early stages it is the woman’s right to get an abortion,” sophomore Angelina Xu said. According to the Statesman, 85 to 90 percent of abortions are past the six week mark in Texas, meaning the law bans nearly all abortions in the state.

The bill forces victims to bear the children of their abusers, which can have disastrous con-

PHOTO BY VICTORIA DZAISEK

sequences for both mother and child. According to psychologist Andrew Solomon, “children conceived of rape are more likely to suffer from severe psychological disorders.” In passing this bill, legislators are forcing mothers to love the permanent reminder of their trauma and children to live a life of guilt for something they cannot control.

Although this legislation is harmful for all women, marginalized women in Texas face the most dire consequences. It may be a minor inconvenience for upper-class women that can afford to take off work and hop on a flight out of state, but will be detrimental for lower income women that can not bear the additional expenses. Furthermore, most of the states surrounding Texas have 24-72 hour waiting periods between a consultation and an abortion and due to

Protestors march in D.C. after the Texas anti-abortion ban decision. their extreme conservatism, it is nearly impossible to get an abortion in neighboring states.

This bill was deviously crafted by the Texas legislature to en-

“It goes against everything Roe v. Wade was about.”

- Angelina Xu courage random people to shove their way into any woman’s private life through lawsuits against those that helped them. Not only does this deprive women of their constitutional right to privacy, but it leaves them vulnerable without a support system. “They’re mostly men so they don’t have the

Biden’s first year a disappointment

by Kidus Walelign

perspective of the women who might be in that situation.,”junior Thomas Domorad said.

Legislators fail to understand that banning abortions will not prevent women from finding a way to access them.

The Guttmacher Institue found that countries with the most abortion restrictions have the highest rates of illegal abortion. The abortion rate is 37 per 1,000 women in countries with strict abortion laws, and 34 per 1,000 in countries without them. The prosecution of medical professionals and clinics will inevitably cause women to seek unsafe abortions as a last resort, leading to a lifetime of health problems or even death.

The Texas legislature should not focus solely on banning abortions and oppressing women when there are other methods that help reduce abortion rates.

Evolution of masks

by Shoshana Peck

OPINIONS WRITER

OPINIONS WRITER

Biden stepped into office on Jan. 20 after a contentious election. As his first year comes to a close, his mediocrity as a president has become increasingly evident. Biden’s new administration has already made a slew of mistakes, souring already dour relations with other countries, ranging from a sloppy retreat from Afghanistan to a mishandling of the immigration crisis.

As part of his campaign, Biden promised to pull troops out of Afghanistan after a grueling 20year war. The US has long overstayed its welcome, and American military intervention has done little to improve the situation.

Before COVID-19, the sight of a Richard Montgomery hallway filled with masked students would have been completely foreign. Despite the political nature they have taken on, masks have become a part of everyday life. The CDC recommends all students, staff and visitors in schools wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. While it has been an adjustment, masks are now perceived as the new normal.

While masks have been the subject of political debate across the U.S., Montgomery County can feel like a bubble in terms of mask compliance. “I feel like in Montgomery County we’re a masked community … When I go up to visit my parents in central Pennsylvania, nobody wears a mask, and I do a double take,” US History teacher Lisa MacFarlane said.

Masking is proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and with the rise of variants such as the Delta variant, now is not the time to put away the masks.

According to The Atlantic, the reluctance to wear a mask is a Western issue. The practice of wearing masks has existed in East Asia since the SARS epidemic in 2003 and in China since the Manchurian plague in 1910.

In the U.S., xenophobia and the association of masks with East Asians as well as the idea that those who wore masks were unhealthy or spreading panic led to a reluctance to wear masks.

It is inevitable that there will be lasting impacts of the pandemic, and masks may be one

“Biden has done ok so far...but... improvements should be made” - Georgia Levine When Biden assumed office, he set an arbitrary deadline for the extraction on Aug. 31. His unwillingness to change his unreasonable deadline resulted in a messy evacuation of Afghanistan. According to the New York Times, 13 U.S. soldiers were killed while trying to carry out the evacuation and Insider states that over 100 U.S. citizens were abandoned.

Other NATO allies supporting the U.S. in Afghanistan were left scrambling to leave before they were left behind. This was a political gamble on our President’s part that has left many of our allies feeling slighted.

The Biden administration also

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

has a problem with kicking people out. Biden has followed in Trump’s footsteps by abusing Title 42, a law that allows immigration authorities to expel immigrants found at the border before they can apply for asylum during certain health emergencies.

According to ABC news, Biden has expelled thousands of Haitians, among others, without letting them seek asylum. He is throwing immigrants back into the clutches of dangerous gangs and unstable governments, without even giving them a chance.

This has garnered a lot of backlash from Democrats voicing disapproval of this violation of rights.

Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley said “As we speak out against the cruel, the inhumane, and the flat out racist treatment of our Haitian brothers and sisters at the southern border we cannot and we must not look away in this moment.” This violation of human rights demonstrates how Biden wishes to just find the “quick fix.”

According to Pew Research Center, in July, 27 percent of border crossers had at least one previous confrontation in the past year, up 13 percent from before Title 42 took effect. This can explain the growing number of en-

Biden’s first year unremarkable counters at our southern border, reaching numbers not seen in two decades. An increase in crossings necessitates an increase in patrols, which diverts money and attention from other problems.

Even so, Biden has undertaken critical task such as implementing a mask mandate that significantly reduced the spread of COVID-19.

According to USA facts, over 400 million vaccine doses have been administered. This contributed to a sharp decline in cases as soon as Biden entered office.

The bottom line is that Biden is an unpopular president with an approval rate of 44 percent according to FiveThirtyEight.

“Biden has done ok so far, I think he’s done well on COVID but in other areas, like bipartisanship, immigration and foreign policy, improvements should be made,” sophomore Georgia Levine said.

Unlike his rather unremarkable 36 year tenure in the Senate, Biden’s first year as president has been very action-packed. He conducted a poorly-organized withdrawal from Afghanistan and mishandled the immigration crisis.

One can only hope that his next three years in office have more of the latter and less of the former.

Facilitating access to affordable birth control for all women and high quality sex education would better help to solve a large part of the problem. According to NBC, after Colorado got private funding to enact long-acting reversible contraceptives, birth and abortion raetes declined by 50 percent among teens and 20 percent among young women.

In Texas, there is no sex education requirement and many schools only emphasize abstinence until marriage - an outdated and ineffective strategy. Research shows that teen pregnancy is significantly less likely with comprehensive sex education than with abstinence-only or no sex education The law was enacted on Sept. 1 and the Supreme Court ruled to not take action against it, setting the tone for the future with the new conservative majority. The Supreme Court’s indirect support for the act sets a dangerous precedent that encourages other states to pursue similar legislation, since they can sidestep legal opposition through the use of private cause of action. The court’s decision to let this injustice take place could dangerously translate into other areas, such as gun safety.

The Supreme Court’s decision to allow this act to stay in place sets an ominous tone for our future by allowing criminal law to intrude into women’s reproductive rights.

of them. “I feel at least some people will continue wearing them when they feel sick or if...the flu is going around or strep or something people will wear them,” Sophomore Grace Volchok said.

Evidence suggests masks reduce the amount of germs spread by a person with a respiratory disease.

As masks have become accepted by Western society, they have found their way into fashion. Sophmore Daniel Chernyak said, “If I have acne or something on my chin, haha, don’t have to see the bottom of my face, you know.”

Masks have become a method of creative expression. The integration of masks into fashion has helped masks be accepted

by Western society, normalizing and even celebrating something that would otherwise just be a reminder of the ongoing pandemic.

Due to the pandemic, masks have been normalized in the RM community to the point that there is a social stigma associated with not wearing a mask. Chernyak said, “If you’re inside and you have it below your nose, that’s incredibly disrespectful, it just shows you don’t care about the people around you.” Particularly in high school, this social aspect may be one of the key factors in enforcing mask compliance.

Montgomery County has reached a point where masks are understood to be necessary and socially accepted. This perception o f m a s k s m e a n s that most p e o p l e wear masks when necessary, reducing t r a n s mission and bringing us closer to the end of the pandemic.

GRAPHICS BY ANGELINA GUHL

The Tide

October 2021 7

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Opinion: Appropriated insensitive costumes mock cultures

by Braelyn Davison and Charlyn Chu

by Charlyn Chu

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS White woman wearing a traditional Native American headress with many feathers.

close to mocking a culture or enforcing a derogatory stereotype.

If one has any doubt about whether or not their Halloween costume is cultural appropriation, it likely should not be worn. “Intent matters, but intent is not evident to people around you,” English teacher Eleanor Simpson said.

“Intent matters, but intent is not evident to the people around you.”

- Eleanor Simpson With recent events and discourse, many issues concern-

ing minority injustice have been brought to light. That being said, many are hopeful that these events have urged people to be more conscious. “...I’m very optimistic. And so I think, especially among young people, there is that increased awareness,” Simpson said.

Some examples of common costumes that are racially insensitive include: Arab sheik costume, Mexican-imitating costumes such as sombreros, and costumes involving a hijab or cornrows. “Playing with identity is an important piece. At the same time we have to realize that we have to respect people from all cultural backgrounds and all walks of life.” social studies teacher Todd Stillman said.

This Halloween, and for future Halloweens to come, remember the hashtag #my-

Opinion: Biden’s promises mislead

by Samisksha Mahashetty SOCIAL JUSTICE WRITER

During his campaign for the 2020 Presidential election, President Joe Biden made countless promises. From restoring voting rights to ensuring criminal justice, his promises did not fall short of impressive. However, how many of them has he fulfilled?

Biden has followed through with some promises like reversing the transgender military ban and rescinding the “Muslim bans.” According to Politifact’s “Biden Promise Tracker,” the Biden administration has fulfilled 12 promises, only two of which regard minorities, his target audience during his campaign. With 1/5 of his term over, Biden’s list of unfulfilled promises is longer than many think it should be.

While voting rights appear to be the focus of many current political movements, Biden’s administration seems to be pushing it aside, if not ignoring it entirely.

“Everyone should have the right to elect their own representative and get the representation that they need and they want,” freshman Corrine Howard said. Biden should not turn a blind eye to the very same minority groups he targeted during his campaign.

Another issue getting an insufficient amount of attention

Two racist incidents in MCPS spark discourse

ASSISTANT SOCIAL JUSTICE EDITOR

SOCIAL JUSTICE WRITERS

Halloween entails an overload of candy, one too many pumpkins and creepy decorations.

But when it comes to costumes, where should we draw the line?

Cultural appropriation, by definition, is the adoption of another culture’s customs, practices, clothing or ideas by a more dominant group of people. With Halloween right around the corner, it is vital to choose a non-offensive costume.

The reason so many Halloween costumes are harmful is because of their negative stereotypes.

Dressing as a Native American with feathers and tribal tattoos, for example, undermines the oppression and violence Native Americans faced during that time when that clothing was worn.

Celebrities have done their fair share of appropriating cultures, from blackface to bindis. Kim Kardashian faced backlash when she wore “Bo Derek braids,” model Karlie Kloss walked a runway in a Native American headdress and revealing outfit, and Katy Perry dressed as a geisha, among others.

Although they have apologized, many have had repeated offenses. Not knowing a costume is harmful does not excuse the action of wearing it in any way; it does not take back the hurt a community has felt from their identity being worn like a costume.

Thus, it is best to stray away from any costumes that are even

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN BRIEF

from the Biden administration is the border control situation, which only seems to be escalating. A Human Rights First report tracked about 6,356 kidnappings, sexual assaults, and other violent attacks since Biden took office. Howard said, “there’s no reason we shouldn’t be welcoming women who, in their countries, can’t get proper education, their children are being abused by men, where men can come in and rape them and do whatever they want to them and they’re trying to escape that, and we’re not letting them in? That’s absurd.”

The harsh border control enforcement also serves as a barrier between foreign members of the LGBTQ+ community attempting to escape from their country’s homophobic policies and their

safety in the U.S. Senior Apurva Hari said, “Literally this entire country was built on equality and that’s like the entire promise of America is a place where you won’t be discriminated against and you have the freedom to live your life however the heck you want to live your life.”

It is not uncommon for politicians to make empty promises, but after a year like 2020, President Biden is expected, now more than ever, to live up to his words. “He’s kind of making promises to get himself in office, but he’s not really acting on those promises. He’s kind of going his own way, so if he can draw back to what he originally stated, I feel like we could get this back on track,” Howard said.

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

Graffiti referencing white pride, targeting the LGBTQ community, and containing hate speech was sprayed on the walls of Walter Johnson High School last week. This act of racist vandalism has made many feel unsafe.

“We are very mindful of how such actions may evoke fear and anger and we have worked quickly to cover the images,” WJ principal Jennifer Baker wrote in a letter sent out to families.

“They need to be held accountable.”

- Zaki Ahmad

This incident of racial vandalism is not the first in Montgomery County. Back in 2017, Richard Montgomery had a similar incident. Staff had found messages like “white power” and the n-word written on the whiteboard of a classroom.

Stemming from these events, many schools including Richard Montgomery have implemented talks and town halls so that students have an opportunity to share experiences concerning ra-

cial issues and other hate speech.

“When school rules are not being followed, we must shape school culture against racism through community events. At RM we do equity education through town halls. I think everyone who has something to say about these incidents should have the opportunity to,” sophomore and founder of the Student Equity Committee (SEC) Zaki Ahmad said.

In the same week of WJ’s graffiti incident, racist remarks against Asian students were reportedly made at Sherwood High School sports games. Sherwood Principal Tim Britton has apologized for the behavior of Sherwood students, and wrote a letter highlighting efforts to prevent these incidents in the future.

This includes investigating who is responsible and administering serious consequences, as well as holding a dialogue among students and staff.

“These students should not walk away free. They need to be held accountable. If students understand the severe impact of their comments and actions, there’s a greater chance they won’t do it again,” Ahmad said.

According to the website Niche, MCPS is the most diverse school district in the state of Maryland. Of 160.000 students, 32% are Hispanic/Latino, 27% are White, 21.4 % are Black, 14.1% are Asian, and 5.3% are two or more races, with less than one percent Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Opinion: Raiders coach emails reveal toxic NFL

by Elfreda Raven ASSISTANT SOCIAL JUSTICE EDITOR

Jon Gruden, the former head coach of the LA Raiders, resigned on Monday, Oct. 11 after a slew of homophobic, racist and misogynistic emails, amassed over seven years were exposed.

In these emails, he used racist tropes to describe the looks of a black football commissioner, denounced the NFL for drafting gay players, rejected female referees and was even found to be sending pornographic photos of women to other NFL personnel.

“Taken together, the emails provide an unvarnished look into the clubby culture of one N.F.L. circle of peers, where white male decision makers felt comfortable sharing pornographic images, deriding the league policies, and jocularly sharing homophobic language,” the New York Times reported.

This situation sheds light on the coddling of staff and players alike by the NFL despite their repeated talk of “commitment” to being an inclusive and accepting organization. Even in an instance like this, Gruden was not fired but rather resigned on his own.

To make matters worse, Gruden’s response to the situation was less than satisfactory, say-

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

ing, “I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction,” in his resignation announcement on Twitter. He even went so far as to say on Friday that he did not remember sending the emails.

This situation and all that it has brought forth is just another example of the toxic environment often created in the professional sports industry. It is a slap in the face to all the players, staff, fans, supporters and families that are decicated supporters of the NFL. So many people are hurt and angered by these degrading comments, yet their concerns are ignored.

The contradictory behavior displayed by the NFL is nothing new, but is something tired and played out time after time.

Who knows how many more Grudens are employed by the NFL right now? Only time will tell and that is the problem.

8

The Tide

CENTERSPREAD

October 2021

CENTERSPREAD

The Tide

A Beginner’s Guide

to

RM TRADITIONS

October 2021

Homecoming Hallway Decorations, by Jessica Wu In the week leading up to Homecoming, students in every grade level can compete to decorate an assigned hallway based on a given theme.

Having missed out on so much last year, this year’s theme of teen movies was chosen in honor of nostalgic high school memories: Mean Girls for seniors in the social studies hallway, High School Musical for juniors in the English hall, Bring it On for sophomores in math and Grease for freshmen in Science. Decorations usually include colorful banners, giant paintings produced by students and even flashing lights.

GRAPHIC BY ARYAN CHANDA

“HoCo decorations are so amazing every year,” senior Jodie Ye said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing them at school, and all the hard work people put into it.”

At the end of the week, staff members judge each hallway, and the winning grade level is announced at the pep rally on the same day. This year, the freshman class won for their Grease-inspired hallway.

One Acts, by Anne Moser Pep Rallies, by Shuxin Dai

Every year, the largest and one of the oldest clubs at RM, Black Maskers, carries out an over decade-long tradition of putting on a show in the winter called One Acts. This year, One Acts will be taking place on Jan. 28, 2022. Entirely produced by students, One Acts is a fundraiser for Black Maskers, where students write and direct their own one-act plays. “It’s really a group effort, but it’s so much fun,” junior Allison Howlett, one of the producers of One Acts this year, and the junior member of the drama board, said.

Pep rallies are an important tradition at Richard Montgomery High School that generally happen three times per school year: once in the fall, once in the winter and once in the spring.

At pep rallies, students and teachers come together for performances by the cheerleaders, the marching band, poms squad, BOMS and so many more. From fun relays to loud chants, the pep rallies are an exciting way for students to build school spirit. “It’s just great to see all the students get excited to see all the performances and really fun to perform as part of the drumline,” senior Adam Owens said. Pep rallies are an opportunity for students and staff to build community and have fun.

From costumes to set construction, the students run it all. “One Acts is about building the community ... it’s a really amazing opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.” Information about participating in the One Acts production will be coming out after the fall play, Blithe Spirit. Everyone is encouraged to check it out, either participating in the actual production, or just to attend the show and support their peers.

Singing Madrigals, by Kai Ghebrehiwet As the weather cools and frost accumulates, the RM Madrigals come in full force to break the ice and bring holiday cheer throughout the winter season. The days before winter break, the RM Madrigals take to the hallways to display their excitement and overall jubilance in the form of Christmas carols during the school day. “Every time they come in, I enjoy their performance completely and profoundly.

They’re so professional. It surprises me all the time,” school secretary Mary Ayala said.

To usher in a new year, the RM Madrigals offer singing valentines on Valentine’s Day to help students reach out to friends, teachers and special sweethearts in the form of songs and remarks of admiration and gratitude. “The singing valentines are a fundraiser we do every year where people can pay for us to serenade a friend or lover of their choosing. I like to see the smiles or embarrassment on people’s faces when they get serenaded in front of all their classmates,” senior Nick Buckovich said.

GRAPHIC BY JESSICA WU

BOMS, by Natalie Weger

Mr. RM, by Maria Yu

Each year, RM students cheer with laughter and joy as the RM BOMs team takes the field at seasonal pep rallies. This energetic group of RM seniors, usually dressed in the iconic BOM shirts and short-shorts, hype up the crowd through performing dances with their hilarious moves and lively music. From Tik Tok dances to Mariah Carey songs, the BOMs will dance to anything to make the crowd go wild. “It’s pretty fun because it’s something that you don’t typically see in many high schools,” senior and BOMs member Henry Sonti said.

Everyone has heard of beauty pageants where the best talents and pearly white teeth are shown off in order for one lucky winner to be crowned Miss Universe. While RM cannot crown someone Miss Universe, it can give the title of Mr. RM. Towards the end of the year, the most spirited and charismatic senior males showcase their abilities and personality in a competition called Mr. RM. From a talent competition to a swimsuit contest, the candidates participate in a variety of activities to win over the hearts of the crowd.

The BOMs usually spend a month in advance prepping for the pep rallies, with practices led by RM poms captains. This is where they learn their dances and work as a team to prepare for the pep rally at the end of the season. “Just collectively coming together and being a part of a group activity that uses teamwork is really fun,” senior and BOMs member Michael Fernandes said.

“It’s a good way to end off the year, especially for the seniors,” junior Aarushi Gupta said. Students looking for an entertaining time full of excitement, make sure to keep an eye out for Mr. RM.

Spirit Week, by Rosemary Yang RM Idol, by Victor Tsuma

Blood Drive, by Anushka Iyer

One of RM’s most hyped and cherished events is RM Idol. RM Idol usually takes place in December and this year will most likely be set on Dec. 10. The idea of RM Idol is similar to that of the popular television show, American Idol. RM students, after auditioning, will sing a song or perform an instrument in front of a panel of judges in the auditorium. “Who are the judges?” you might ask. Each year a group of around three teachers gets to judge each student’s performance, and winners get cash prizes, usually consisting of lots of gift cards.

For over a decade Richard Montgomery High School has held the annual Blood Drive. The Blood Drive is run by Inova Hospital, and donating is a great way to help out your community and others. These donations can be incredibly important as each donation can save approximately three lives. In one day about 60-65 pints of blood are collected, meaning that 180 lives can be saved in one day. Both RM students and staff are eligible to donate.

RM Idol is one of the fundraisers to raise money for RM’s student literary magazine, Fine Lines. “It’s really fun. I would definitely recommend going especially to underclassmen since it is a good rm tradition,” Elizabeth Welbeck, editor-in-chief of Fine Lines, said.

Graphic by Julianne Cruz

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

As somebody who had two transfusions when I was going through cancer treatment, I know first hand the importance of donating blood,” social studies teacher Toni Kellinger said. This tradition is run by the SGA, so keep a look out for the Blood Drive this year.

Powderpuff, by Natalie Weger Each year, a league of girls from each class gather together on the field to play flag football and compete in a classwide competition in a tradition known as Powderpuff. The girls usually practice during lunch and are coached by players on the RM football team. Practices are an enjoyable way for girls to work on their team-building skills and just have fun playing football. “My favorite part of Powderpuff was the practices, where we got everyone organized and had a good time,” senior Hazel Hoppe said.

At the end of the season, Powderpuff gets together on the football field to play against other classes during lunch, where everyone is welcome to watch. Make sure to check out this year’s Powderpuff games, or even join Powderpuff yourself.

As a long-standing tradition at RM, Spirit Week is a cherished five-day celebration for students. Everyone dresses up for a theme every day of the week. “My favorite part of Spirit Week is seeing all of the people participate,” SGA president Lulu August said. “Even if you forget, you see all the other people doing it, and it’s just a great sense of community.” Spirit Week typically consists of Maryland Mondays, Tropical or Tacky Tourist Tuesdays and Black and Gold Fridays, with a few HoCothemed and college jersey days sprinkled in between.

There is also a special tradition for the seniors on Tuesday where they all wear a special type of clothing. “That clothing I can’t say,” August said, “but I think all seniors know. I remember every time I saw the seniors dress up, I couldn’t wait to become a senior and also participate in that really special tradition.”

GRAPHIC BY JOANNA LI

Designed by Natalie Weger All photos courtesty of RM SGA

9

FEATURES Rockets reflect on relationship with grandparents The Tide

by Angelina Guhl FEATURES WRITER

For many people, grandparents play an important role in addition to their parents in their lives. Last month, on Sept. 12, it was Grandparents Day. Some Rockets at Richard Montgomery reflect on their relationships with their grandparents, sharing some interesting experience and wisdom that they have learned.

Many people live near to their grandparents, while others live farther away, sometimes in a different country.

Freshman Charisse Fung has grandparents who live close by. “My maternal grandparents live near us, in a condo, and it’s nice because we celebrate my birthday together every year,” Fung said.

Similarly, senior Elena Berman has a close relationship with her grandparents. “Both of my maternal and paternal grandparents live within 30 minutes of me, so it’s been nice to be able to do things with them,” she said.

“My relationship with my Bubbe and Zaydie [grandparents on father’s side] is pretty chill, like I’ll tell them about what’s been going on in my life and stuff.

With my grandma, on my mom’s side, my relationship is more centered around doing things, like going to sports games and

having dinner together, but I still talk with her about my life.”

Senior Connor Palansky has a slightly different experience, as both sets of their grandparents

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

have gone through divorce and live in different states and countries.

“I see my local grandma probably every two to three months, but for my grandparents in Florida and grandma in Toronto, it’s more like I see them every two years,” Palansky said.

For some, grandparents are their quintessential story-tellers and advice-givers. “I’m somewhat close to my grandparents–I have a better relationship with them than with my parents at times honestly, even though they can be conservative and distasteful,” Palansky said. “I really want to absorb their knowledge before they pass.”

For some people, having older

grandparents means they are atrisk for death due to old age or other ailments, so to these people it is important to spend time with their grandparents and listen to their stories. “My grandmas specifically have been really strong. I really look up to them. They’re always overlooked and stepped on by others around them, but they’re resilient, which is really inspiring to me,” Palansky said. “I think they’re also just very strong people, living on their own after divorcing their abusive husbands.”

As many grandparents live separately from their children and grandchildren, the time spent with them can be very valuable.

“I see my grandparents every Sunday,” Fung said. “Spending birthdays and holidays with them has definitely stood out to me.”

“I really want to absorb their knowledge before they pass.”

- Connor Palansky Berman also appreciates the moments she has with her grandparents.

“I love helping my Bubbe and Zaydie prepare for holidays,” Berman said. “The time I spend with my

grandma is also really nice.”

There can be many things to learn from one’s grandparents as well, reflected in Palansky’s own experiences observing their grandmothers. “Especially when I used to paint my nails more, I would always think of them and reflect how even in their old age, as their hands become calloused and bruised and old and shaky, they always have perfect nail polish, with one grandma preferring red and the other a nude,” Palansky said. “When people compliment me on my nails, it reminds me of them.”

As these students grow older, childhood memories with their grandparents are thought of with nostalgia. “I remember walking around Rio Grande with my grandma and my mom when I was little and going on the paddle boats and having a lot of fun,” Berman said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for people like Palansky to see their out-of-town grandparents, but it has taught them to cherish the memories they have had, and pushes them to reach out more over phone and email.

“I want to absorb all of their wisdom that they’ve gained before they pass,” Palansky said. “They have so much life experience and stories, so I’m thankful that I can still learn these stories while

Students manage part-time jobs on top of school at Polster’s job have not been to the point of worry.

“It’s been alright; COVID being around does impose some barriers at my job, but it’s not too bad,” Polster said.

At Ben & Jerry’s, Longest and her work crew must continuously wipe down counters and use wax paper while coming in contact with food.

“We’re definitely more careful

by Kobina Asafu-Adjaye FEATURES WRITER

Junior Tabitha Longest prepares for a four hour shift at Ben & Jerry’s once the 2:30 bell rings, after six long hours of schoolwork and assignments. She walks to Rockville Town Center immediately to begin her shift. The same can be said for many students here at RM. Students with part -time jobs have a bit of adjusting to do, as they navigate going back to a normal school schedule in a new school year, participating in extracurriculars and managing all of their assignments.

For Longest, she began working at the popular ice cream chain several weeks ago. Longest has a strong connection to the ice cream shop, as two of her older siblings have worked there. Her main duties include managing cake orders, cleaning and making sure that her work area is organized and, of course, scooping ice cream.

Junior Max Polster works at a local Saturday school, where he helps staff members with logistical planning, like making sure everything is in place for the children attending the school. He was contacted by the school to see if he could work for them, and was hired on the spot.

Junior Kaitlin Gotting has continued to work at the Rockville Swim Center as a lifeguard, where she has held the position since summer vacation. She has been on a swim team throughout her life, and officially became Red Cross Certified and applied at Maryland.gov for the lifeguard job. For her, a typical shift includes setting up equipment for the classes she instructs, attending staff meetings and creating lesson plans for her swimming students.

Longest appreciates her familiarity with the store, and the proximity of it to her house and RM. During the application process at

til the last second, and making sure all of her academic related tasks are complete.

“Having a job keeps me from procrastinating on my homework because I have to stick to my schedule. If I don’t, I know I’ll fall behind and have many assignments pile up,” Gotting said.

Longest also explained how she truly feels happy getting

“Don’t ever be afraid to communicate your needs to your manager or boss since you are a student.”

- Tabitha Longest PHOTO COURTESY OF KAITLIN GOTTING

the end of the summer, she was able to get assistance from her sibling. Once she did get the job, Longest felt a bit overwhelmed. “It was extremely nerve wracking the first few shifts. Especially since I was trying to make everything extremely perfect. But because of the welcoming environment, some of my stress and anxiety went away with time. ” Longest said.

Longest is also a part of the school-sponsored trip to Japan next year, and her earnings from her job would go towards paying for her trip and any souvenirs she may want during her travels.

Although the students have been working in their workplaces between a few weeks and a couple months, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the regular work environment. Gotting noted how it has been a bit uneasy at times to work at her job.

“You just never know really with COVID. I just try to wear my mask as much as possible and make sure everyone is staying safe,” she stated.

However, the conditions

PHOTO COURTESY OF TABITHA LONGEST

with how we handle our stuff, and we unfortunately don’t allow people to sit indoors,”Longest said.

Gotting mentioned how having her position at a pool during the pandemic has been challenging, as people are not as likely or able to follow certain guidelines.

“Having this particular job during the pandemic has been difficult because it isn’t possible to social distance or wear a mask in the pool,” Gotting said.

In terms of balancing school alongside a part-time job, and being asked to fill in extra shifts, Longest recommends that students prioritize school over their job.

“Don’t take too many shifts when you know you have a lot of work. Don’t ever be afraid to communicate your needs to your manager or boss since you are a student,” Longest said.

Gotting feels that being a lifeguard helps keep her from pushing her assignments un-

able to interact and see more members of the Rockville community that come into the shop.

“It’s always nice when unfamiliar faces and regulars come in. I feel like it gives me an opportunity to both briefly talk to new people, and catch up with some I might already know.”

GRAPHIC BY JESSICA WU

October 2021

10

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

Students and Staff Share Significant Dishes

by Ellie Noh FEATURES WRITER

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 marks the official celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the achievements, influence and contributions of those of Hispanic descent on American culture. Read on to discover cultural recipes our classmates, teachers and administrators love.

Principal Alicia Deeny enjoys cooking traditional Puerto Rican foods, but says her ultimate specialty is flan, a custard dessert similar to creme brulee that she prepares with pumpkin every Thanksgiving. She was originally inspired by a Puerto Rican cookbook that has been passed down in her family, but she has refined the recipe over the years.

“It can be a bit tricky to caramelize the sugar and transfer it into a double boiler, but it’s definitely worth the effort,” Ms. Deeny said. “I usually make it when it’s cold outside, and it reminds me of the warm weather and my family back in Puerto Rico.”

Tamales are a classic handheld treat in Latin America.

Rice, chicken, potatoes and vegetables are wrapped in leaves or corn husks. Sophomore Katy Mejia, secretary of the Bilingual Club, eats this savory meal every Christmas with her family.

“This dish carries sentimental value with it, and should be considered a meaningful gift.

Usually when someone makes it, they make around 20 tamales. The time and dedication reflects the love the creator of the dish has for you,” Mejia said. “I enjoy tamales best when served with coffee.” It is traditional for grandmothers and aunts to teach their families, so they can continue to pass the tradition on.

Pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador, are thick tortillas stuffed with cheese, mashed beans and pork. Sophomore Marlene Orantes, member of the Spanish Honor Society, looks forward to eating this delicious meal during celebrations.

“This dish is significant to me because I have many good times and memories associated with preparing pupusas,” Orantes said. She was taught by her mother to make the meal, who was taught by her grandmother and so on. “It’s important to my family that all of us learn how to make it so we can grow up and pass it on,” Orantes said.

Psychology teacher Carlos Montalvan enjoys his mother’s breakfast dish “Un Plato Tipico.”

This breakfast tray is composed of scrambled eggs, crushed tomatoes and onions, fresh homemade tortilla, beans, platanos, crema and queso fresco. “Growing up, my mother would make it on Saturday mornings for my brothers and me. This meal reminds me of being a kid and visiting El Salvador,” Mr. Montalvan said.

“Nowadays, my boys and I eat it when we visit my mom. I certainly hope she’ll pass on the recipe so we can continue making it.”

These are just a few mouth-watering dishes that originated from Latin American culture.

To get a taste of Latin American cuisine, you can dine at local Hispanic restaurants including El Mariachi, Tomatillo Mexican Grill and La Brasa Latin Cuisine.

FEATURES

The Tide

October 2021

Staff, students reflect on shift back to in-person

by Elena Parisi and Ginger Speer FEATURES WRITERS

On March 15, 2020, the entire world shut down. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, people around the world were forced into working and learning from their homes. In Montgomery County alone, 162,564 students began virtual learning, including 2,450 students from RM. Students struggled to get used to the new format of schooling.

They attended just four hours of classes a day, four days a week, from their bedrooms or living rooms. They went to class on Zoom, dealt with technical issues and never actually got to meet their peers face-to-face.

Freshman CJ Sorrentino had trouble with staying on track at home. “There were definitely more distractions during virtual learning because you're at your house and you're with all your technology; you can do anything,” Sorrentino said.

away. “I’m self-motivated, but a lot of people weren’t self-motivated and so it was a struggle for most people,” senior August Rowe said.

On the other side of the screen, teachers came across obstacles as well. For history teacher Lisa MacFarlane, it was challenging to effectively teach history over Zoom.

“A lot of the topics we bring up in history lead to discussions and it’s just really hard to do that virtually,” Ms. MacFarlane said. “With all the technical issues, you can’t always hear people and there was just a lot of disengagement.”

Ms. MacFarlane also had to use her planning periods to check on her elementary-aged children, who had their own struggles withindependence during virtual learning.

On the flip side, biology teacher Katherine Hatchard became a technology connoisseur over the year. “When it came to virtual [learning], I learned a huge amount about technology, which allowed me to increase my learning,” Hatchard said.

“I feel like teachers don’t understand the workload we have.”

- Carly Nunez

GRAPHICS BY EVELYN SHUE

Along with distractions, students had to deal with a lack of motivation. In a face-to-face setting, teachers and peers are constantly there to remind students to work hard and avoid procrastination. Virtual school took this all

Sophomore Katrina Scheppke was able to manage her mental health better at home. “I get kind of anxious in public, and there’s a lot of triggers. So, at home, I get to do things with peace of mind,” Scheppke said.

“My family situation’s kind of difficult, we have to travel up to Pennsylvania and New York so being able to attend school from

different places is convenient.”

Students and staff also enjoyed sleeping in late. “I miss being able to wake up at nine,” Rowe said. “I prefer in person learning so much more but it was nice to sleep in,” Ms. MacFarlane said.

The transition back to in person learning this year does not just come down to getting up when it is still dark out. The fast-paced nature of classes and the increasing amount of homework assigned is causing some students to feel overwhelmed.

“I feel like teachers don’t understand the workload we have,” freshman Carly Nunez said.

“Since we were always home last year, it was easier to manage time, but the amount of activities and the fact that we interact with our friends more means we have less time for school work.”

Nunez finds that her teachers tend to go over new material so fast that there is not enough time to ask questions and get clarification.

Teachers also felt overloaded with learning the names of live students. “I couldn’t see the bottom half of people’s faces,” Ms. Hatchard said. “I had to find a happy blend between all the fantastic new technology and making sure students get to collaborate with paper and pencil that they didn’t get to do last year.”

Ms. MacFarlane feels that she

must multitask more than usual every day. “I feel like the workload is definitely more this year, because everything that we do in class, we have to post online,” Ms. MacFarlane said. “It’s almost like doing two different preps.”

Staying safe is also a top priority of students and teachers alike.

Senior Evelyn Lee prefers the hybrid option created last year. “It would be better if we had groups of students alternating per week,” Lee said. “When I’m going up and down the stairs, it’s really crowded and having the hybrid option will maintain some space.”

Rowe believes that the protocols for students who test positive should be altered. “With people being anonymous when they have COVID is fine in theory, but in practice, it’s dangerous.

It’s dangerous to not know who it is,” Rowe said. “There was a senior who got it and like, I’m a senior and that’s concerning to me. I want to know who it is.”

The educational environment is not the way it used to be prior to the pandemic. “We’re in the transition between virtual and normal, and actually, it’s not normal,” Hatchard said.

“We’ve got a new version, and it’ll be interesting to see how long our new version stays around.”

RM students obsess over boba tea

by Caroline Zhou and Allison Wong FEATURES WRITERS

A short walk from RM leads to several bubble tea shops.

The popularity of boba has increased dramatically over the years and it has gained traction among students as well.

Boba has many different monikers. People refer to it as ‘pearl tea,’ ‘boba tea’ and ‘tapioca tea.’

It originated in Taiwan and is thought to have been integrated into American culture through Taiwanese immigrants. The term ‘boba’ itself actually refers to the chewy, penny-sized black pearls that are the drink’s defining characteristic. The pearls are made from tapioca starch that is boiled in hot water and

then submerged in sugary syrup for hours in order to transform the tasteless white ball to the mouth-watering bubbles that many people enjoy today.

“Boba is a delicious concoction- it’s sweet, it’s chewy and I just really love the texture of the boba in my mouth,” sophomore Zachary Zao said. Freshman Jenice (last name) uses boba as a coping mechanism.

“It’s really good and enjoyable to drink,” Jenice said. “On those days when I’m stressed out with school, boba is there to help.”

Teachers also share the excitement of getting boba. Biology teacher Bessy Albaugh tried boba after being coaxed to do so by her friend. “She found a tiny, hidden shop in College Park and she was like, ‘you

GRAPHIC BY JULLIANNE CRUZ

have to try it, it’s so good,’” Ms. Albaugh said. “I choked on the first one but it was a wonderful experience and it tasted so good that I had to get it again.”

Chemistry teacher Akshay Gandhi first tasted boba several years ago. “I grew up in this area and I had a lot of friends who would drink it so I got it and ended up loving it,” Mr. Gandhi said.

While the texture of its tapioca pearls are what makes boba unique, many have also found its ability to be customized to the consumer’s preferences appealing. If someone preferred a less sugary drink, they could simply adjust the sugar level of the order as they see fit. The flexibility that consumers hold in modifying the drink makes it a crowd favorite.

Customers can also adjust the level of ice in the drink and add toppings in addition to boba that include jelly and pudding.

For people who do not find the bubbles in the tea particularly appealing, they have the option to get a slushie or a regular tea at most bubble tea shops.

During lunch, it is common to see students carrying their tea around. Junior Aishwarya Thalla was introduced to boba as a freshman. “When I first came to RM, people told me it’s a custom here to go get bubble tea at least once,” Thalla said. “There’s so many different flavors that people recommend and it’s a cool experience with friends.”

Popular bubble tea shops

around RM include (rated from closest to farthest) Ding Tea, Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea. At Ding Tea (found just South of RM on Rockville Pike), Thalla recommends the brown sugar milk tea drink and junior Lindsey Zhang recommends the honey green tea and taro green tea.

After school, Zhao sometimes goes to Gong Cha, located in The Spot, which is near Rockville Town Center. He recommends the oolong bubble tea and the sweet potato smoothie.

On his own time, junior Daniel Coxson patronizes Kung Fu Tea (nearby the Rockville Memorial Library.) He recommends the peach bubble tea. Albaugh also goes to Kung Fu Tea and recommends the Oreo Cream Wow. Mr. Gandhi does not have a preference for a bubble tea shop, but when he does get a craving for boba, whatever shop is closest will do. “ I don’t get super fancy, usually if I’m just trying to have something simple I go with just a green tea with pearls at the bottom,” Mr. Gandhi said. “I don’t like milk teas because I’m lactose intolerant.”

Junior Vincent Tsai takes a unique approach to his boba experience. “I make boba at home with the tea available,” Tsai said. “I prefer the homemade version since the store bought ones are too sweet.”

The versatility of boba allows everyone to get in on the fun and try to popular drink.

11

MASKS, cont. page 1 to the regular surgical masks or fabric black masks that many other students chose to wear.

Freshman Sushma Katta also feels that comfort and design are important characteristics a mask should have. “I like having masks that have colors, and designs like flowers really appealed to me,” Katta said. “I used to have a plain white mask, and I didn't really like it--it wasn’t that breathable.”

Although many students chose to wear masks that accessorize their outfits, looks are not everyone’s concern. Sophomore Joshua Fan stuck to wearing a well-fitted surgical mask. “I don't often go and look for masks,” Fan said.

“We have a lot of surgical masks and it just works. I don’t put too much effort into my own fashion, so you know, whatever works, I just wear it.”

Trying to strike a balance between the looks and comfort of his mask is not a problem for freshman Max Gruen. “The ones that feel nice on my face are also the nice looking ones,” Gruen said.

Fan, on the other hand, had to forgo his first mask choice due to some problems with the design and comfort tradeoffs for available masks. “For a bit, I kind of wanted to get a reusable mask because I thought it looked cooler,” Fan said. “ But a lot of the time, it wouldn't fit me and it was a little uncomfortable.”

Fan also felt that the reusable masks he wore were a little too tight around his ears and caused more discomfort than a mask should. Having to choose between appearance and comfort was not something Fan desired, which factored into his eventual decision to stick with a surgical mask.

“For a bit, I kind of wanted to get a reusable mask because I thought it looked cooler... ” - Joshua Fan As the pandemic continues, students across Montgomery County are embracing the mask requirement--a testament to the resilience of the MCPS student body.

“In my opinion, masks are most likely going to stay a health thing that you can have look nice,” Gruen said.

“As of now, I do think that as a must-have, it’s a way of fashion to express yourself,” Katta said.

Mohan shared a similar sentiment with many other RM students. “Before, I think masks were already very low key, but getting a slight popularity.” Mohan said. “And with the pandemic… it’s evolving into a fashionable thing. Masks are just another article of clothing but I mean, why not make it look good?”

To purchase a mask that compliments your aesthetic, Etsy is a good site to use.

GRAPHIC BY ANGELINA GUHL

12

The Tide

October 2021

ARTS

RM Rock & Metal Club brings a new take to instrumental music

by Courtney Kim TIDEPOD EDITOR

Strums of guitars buzz through the music hallway during Thursday lunches, inviting curious ears to its source. The sounds come from room 109, where students gather to share their unique musical passions as part of one of RM’s newest clubs this year: the RM RM club. This peculiarly catchy name is short for Richard Montgomery Rock & Metal club, which aims to provide a snug space for its fans to play and enjoy music with one another.

Earlier this year, seniors Patrick Kim and Jeffrey Vedrin frequented the music rooms during lunch to play guitar and learn some new pieces together. These meetings quickly developed into a club as they received increasing appreciation and interest for their music.

“It dawned upon me that I should create a club when I realized that a lot of people wanted to learn the guitar from me. I

also wanted to share the greatness of Polyphia,” Kim said.

For those who may be unfamiliar, Polyphia is a rock band notable for its progressive instrumental music. Its genre is often called math rock, due to its complexity.

“I think the sheer technical ability of Polyphia is really amazing... it’s pushing the limits of instrumental music. Tim Henson, the lead guitarist, has a unique way of combining different techniques to create beautiful music, and I think he’s influencing a lot o f

guitarists l i k e myself.”

While both Kim and Vedrin are devoted to the band and aim to spread its influence, the club is nowhere near exclusive in its membership to Polyphia fans or expert guitarists.

“We have a pretty diverse group: freshman to seniors, beginners to experts, and we constantly learn from one another,” Vedrin said. He is an amateur guitarist himself and a new fan of Polyphia, responsible for the “rock” part of the club but also exploring his musical passions just as most o f the members are.

“In our meetings, we get to discuss songs and artists we like, and I try to teach members how to play their favorite songs,” Kim said.

Since the creation of the club, many students took advantage of this collaborative space to relax during lunch while learning something new. Senior Zach Lidl joined the club to play the guitar with others, giving mini-performances to his friends as well.

“I would recommend it to friends because it is a very fun club and I’m able to interact with other guitar players as well as just hang out,” Lidl said.

As the lack of time and the high cost of musical lessons often pose barriers to further pur-

PHOTO BY COURTNEY KIM

Seniors Patrick Kim (left) and David Louis (right) strum some tunes on their guitars at a Tri-M meeting. sue an instrument, an additional goal of the founders is to alleviate these challenges for students.

“Overall, I just want everyone to have fun and progress, building off one another.”

- Jeffrey Vendrin Many students instruments once

drop their they reach

high school because they simply don’t have time.

“Since people often don’t have space in their schedule to take guitar classes, it [the club] gives a good opportunity for them to try and learn,” Vedrin said.

“Overall, I just want everyone to have fun and progress, building off of one another.”

GRAPHICS BY LIVIA VENDITTI

How colonialism and colorism shaped Bollywood

by Raha Murtuza and Claire Chen ARTS EDITORS

Since the beginning of Bollywood, colorism has played a huge role in determining who becomes a star and who does not. Even in the 21st century, Bollywood still has a heavy influence from colonialism and its old caste system.

The more white a Bollywood actor looks, the more likely they “make it” in the industry, creating the twisted beauty ideals ravaging India today. Even though it seems that these ideals were created at the start of Bollywood, colorism began long before its beginning.

officials consistently favored the lighter skinned Indians over the darker skinned ones. They were given better jobs and more opportunities, while the darker skinned Indians were treated poorly.

In Ancient India, there was a system known as the caste system that put people into four groups.

The lowest was the untouchables.

All they did was clean streets and do the dirty work. There was no way out of your group, believed to be by the gods since before your birth. Because the untouchables spent all day out in the sun, while the higher groups had cushy, office-type jobs, they naturally were darker. Eventually, dark skin became associated with the untoucables and was a sign of poverty.

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

Prior to the 18th century, Britain and India had a friendly relationship and traded with one another. But in 1757, after the Battle of Plassey, Britain began taking more and more of India’s land and eventually gained control over the entire country. When it came to interaction between the British and the Indians, the British

Hundreds of years later, something happened that would change the Indian beauty industry forever. In March 1975, a large company known as Hindustan Unilever launched a product they called “Fair & Lovely” across South Asia. The idea was that darker girls could use these creams to bleach their

faces and make them lighter.

To this day, “Fair & Lovely” (now known as “Glow & Lovely”) is extremely popular in India. Prior to her Hollywood debut, Priyanka Chopra starred in a Garnier ad, which is another popular skin-lightening cream.

She has since apologized for her previous endorsements after she got backlash for posting a Black Lives Matter message on various social media platforms.

Still, colorism continues to run rampant in Bollywood, as if it is stuck in the 18th century. Despite the numerous actors trying to make it in the industry, producers, directors and casting agents have a set group that they stick to. Some of these people include Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor and Salman and Shah Rukh Khan. All of them have lighter shades of skin and follow Eurocentric beauty ideals, including big eyes and high cheekbones.

The message that these actors send by being casted continuously is harmful. Girls are making their own bleaching creams, using makeup that is lighter than their real shade and powdering their faces because society has told them that they are worthless if they are dark. They are told they are unmarriable, which should not even be a measure of a girl’s worth in the first place, and will automatically be treated worse by their peers and teachers.

Because of all this negativity, multiple groups across South Asia have noticed the flaws in the system and are working to dismantle colorism. One way they are doing this is by protesting ads for creams that will give light skin.

After the backlash, the Ad-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

The roots of colorism reach all the back to Britain’s colonization of India. vertising Standards Council of India issued guidelines in 2014, stating that “ads should not reinforce negative social stereotyping on the basis of skin color” or “portray people with darker skin [as]…inferior, or unsuccessful in any aspect of life particularly in relation to being attractive to the opposite sex.”

Colorism has played a huge role in who becomes a star and who doesn’t.

Another sign of progress in ad-

dressing colorism in Bollywood is with the “Dark is Beautiful” campaign, which has encouraged companies to change their marketing strategies. The advocacy campaign, which was launched in 2009, draws attention to the unjust effects of skin color bias in society and fights against colorism.

Now, many fairness creams are repackaged as brightness or glow creams to avoid controversy. This can be seen with “Glow & Lovely”—the company replaced “Fair” with “Glow” in order to eliminate any words that propagated racial stereotypes. In addition, some cosmetics companies stopped advertising fairness products but continue to offer them in their catalog, in order to create a progressive image and reputation.

Although there still is a long way to go, progress is being made to address the issue of colorism in Bollywood and its heavy influence on Indian society today.

ARTS

The Tide

October 2021

13

Local artist Sharon Koelbinger explores depth in latest exhibition, ‘Maybe the Moon Doesn’t Want Us’

by Raha Murtuza ARTS EDITOR

In the Commongrounds Gallery of the VisArts center, you will find artist Sharon Koelblinger’s latest exhibition, “Maybe the Moon Doesn’t Want Us.” At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much. Just some white steel squares on a wall.

But when you go closer, you’ll notice that they are so much more than empty squares. Behind a layer of metal, there are pictures and patterns vibrating with color. There are small shapes cut into each piece, squiggles, cirPHOTOS BY RAHA MURTUZA cles and triangles. Each shape is echoed on the picture, as a On the second floor of the VisArts center lies Sharon Koelbinger’s latest exhibition, “Maybe the Moon Doesn’t Want Us.” mirror, so that when you look into the holes the shapes create, said. “My artwork is designed shapes without worrying about below to look up and take multhere is a piece of you inside of it. to bring viewer’s awareness messing up on steel. She then tiple angles to see the image shift back to their peripheral vision.” designed the steel frames with as their body moves in space.”

Koelbinger began photography Adobe Illustrator and cut the For the photos, Koelbinger “I try to...draw when she was in high school, but shapes out with a waterjet cutter. took pictures of herself and famthe viewer’s majored in sculpture in college. To make them white, she painted ily members she was quarantined She switched back to photog- through powder coating. Pow- with. She took the photos and atawareness to raphy in graduate school and der coating uses a gun filled with tached them to the frames and addtheir own gaze.” blended the two to create “Maybe powder to spray on the paint and ed the mirrors in the shape of the the Moon Doesn’t Want Us.” “I gives the frame its white sheen. cutouts, which were inspired by am often incorporating three-di“The steel frame obscures a textiles from the mid 20th century.

- Sharon Koelbinger mensional and two-dimensional straightforward viewing angle, If you’re ever looking for somemedia together in my work,” she so viewers must peek around thing to do in Rockville Town “At a time when photographic imagery competes for our at- said. “My goal is to make viewers the sides of the sculptural frame Center, consider stopping by the tention everywhere from public walk around a photograph like to catch glimpses of the reflected VisArts center and checking out advertisements to our personal they walk around a sculpture.” photographic imagery,” she said. “Maybe the Moon Doesn’t Want Prior to making the pieces, “The frames are installed with Us,” which is located on the secphones ... I try to slow down the process of looking at photographs Koelbinger created paper mod- ample physical space in between ond floor. Perhaps Koelbinger’s and draw the viewer’s awareness els to understand the dimensions to enable viewers to press their work might even inspire you in to their own gaze,” Koelbinger and experiment with different bodies against the wall, crouch your own creative endeavors.

Everyone is talking about ‘Squid Game.’ But is Netflix’s new huge hit really worth watching?

by Joelle Lee ARTS WRITER

Released on Sept. 17, 2021, “Squid Game” has been watched by millions around the world.

In less than a month, it has become the first Netflix series to top the daily charts of every country it’s available in.

T h e series is full of suspense, game play, and trust, often followed by betrayal. The extremity of the survival setting allows viewers to share the tension with the players as they move through the deadly games, one by one, with all of their eyes set on the same goal.

Squid Game is a competition where players go through six different competitions, originating from traditional Korean childhood games.

A l l players recruited to play the Squid Game have one thing in common: they are in extreme debt.

The grand cash prize awaiting the final winner of the Squid Game motivates all of the players to give it their all, especially because anyone who loses a game is “eliminated” and instantly killed. Each game shocks viewers with its creativity and horror.

They put the audience through an emotional rollercoaster as the game narrows down the 456 players to one winner, eliminating characters in the most unexpected ways.

This show intrigued me because as a South Korean, it was interesting to see how the producer

implemented the seemingly innocent childhood games I knew into a deadl y , bloody battle. Since t h e s e games all originated from children’s activities, they were simple to understand. The contrast between the simplicity of the games and the complexity of the system hosting the competition clashed to create the overwhelming emotions of doubt, fear, and anxiety as hundreds of adults faced the moment between life and death w h i c h was only determined by their own performances in the games.

There is controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of North Korea. One of the characters, Kang Sae-Byeok, is a young adult who escaped from North Korea with her little brother.

During the rushed escape, SaeByeok’s father was shot to death

while crossing the river and her mother was found in China, then forced back i n North Korea. This reference made to North Korea was immediately recognized by the country itself, which released an article, stating that “[i]t is said that [Squid Game] makes people realize the sad reality of the beastly South Korean society in which human beings are driven into extreme competition and their humanity is being wiped out.”

The country has released similar propaganda regarding “Parasite” as well, a South Korean movie that won six Academy awards in 2020. North Korea’s response to Squid Game has been mostly dismissed, as can be seen by the amazing speed at which Squid Game topped the charts internationally.

The main reason “Squid GRAPHIC BY CHLOE CHOI

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

‘Squid Game,’ South Korea’s thriller series has become a worldwide sensation.

Game’s” popularity skyrocketed, however, is the endless creatvity of this se- ries. The show was invente d ten years ago, and the thought process behind each individual scene and char- acter was so complex. The characters, sets, and scenes were all so intricately created and formed, as well. For example, in a game on a playground, the playground is made to look larger than life to replicate how playgrounds felt as children.

The director and art director considered the perspective of every character, including the players, the organizers, and the audience.

For those interested in the aspects of love, deceit, rage, and fear, consider watching “Squid Game,” which can be streamed on Netflix. Some may find the nine episode season not enough, but do not worry— the series is most likely to resume in a second season due to its booming popularity. Every scene is planned so intricatly that

every second is worth watching.

All viewers of “Squid Game” can be sure to realize the benefits and flaws o f human relationships, as well as the power of the fear of death as they watch friendships and alliances quickly form and just as easily broken as intense fear turns even the closest friends into mortal enemies when their lives are on the line.

“The series is full of suspense, game play, and trust, often followed by betrayal.

- Joelle Lee

ARTS

14 The Tide

October 2021

Why are we currently so obsessed with cottagecore?

by Claire Xu ARTS WRITER

Lush green fields of blooming flowers, a constantly clear blue sky, the rustic stone cottage shrouded by a mysterious forest— these provide the idyllic backdrop of a life based on the concept of cottagecore. An avid follower of this aesthetic (also known as farmcore) might also enjoy wearing flowy floral dresses with puffy sleeves, collecting freshly grown fruits from their backyard garden, and passing the time by trying out new crafts, baking or reading.

Cottagecore exemplifies the yearning of people wanting to escape their stressful lives in the modern world to seek a simpler life. This has been emphasized by the ever-increasing amount of technology flooding our lives.

Instead of papers due at midnight and bills waiting to be paid, people can focus on domestic work, self-sufficiency and caring for others by retreating to a romanticized countryside.

Ironically, the aesthetic gained its following online, even though the concept is based on rejecting modern society and technology.

During lockdown, cottagecore gained even more appeal as many were trapped inside their homes, unable to explore and enjoy their lives as they

could before. Videos of pastel homes and warm sunsets in the mountains filled phone screens and spread across platforms.

Massive trends associated with cottagecore arose in 2020, like Animal Crossing, a game that shares influences with the aesthetic (such as gardening and living among nature) and Lirika Matoshi’s strawberry dress that went viral for its whimsical, fairy-like design. Taylor Swift also had fans enamored with her album “folklore” which explored visual aspects of farmcore in her music video for “cardigan.”

Inevitably, the rise in popularity also came with criticism for the aesthetic. Some people living in rural areas pointed out that cottagecore perpetuates an unrealistically

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

romanticized version of farm life in the media, encouraging the ignorance of those who do not understand the actual lives of farm workers.

Instead of showcasing the arduous labor and economic struggles that farmers endure, cottagecore on the internet showcases expensive dresses and delicate handicrafts that cannot be paid for with small-time farming or craft-making.

Fans of cottagecore argued that they simply fantasize about it and that they do not actually plan to move into rural areas and survive off their own gardens and domestic labor.

They incorporate the aesthetic into their daily lives by perhaps creating a few crafts, dressing

up or baking in their free time.

What they are doing does not cause any issues for the farmers, and they should be allowed to enjoy themselves without being attacked for it.

As most cottagecore enthusiasts experience the aesthetic through images and videos on the internet, they always have the option to click off and close the images of quaint cottages and freshly baked bread and return to their lives. However, real farmers do not have that privilege as they are dealing with the real world, not an idealized or fictional one.

So, is cottagecore centered around a perfect countryside crafted from fantasy, or is it a misunderstood view of rural areas?

GRAPHIC BY EVELYN SHUE

Cottagecore is based on colonial-era European countryside life, and when imagining it, many imagine a slender white woman dressed in a whiter dress strolling through her garden, admiring the flowers. In reality, life was not like this for people of color and most women—inclusivity was

not a widely discussed topic in the Romantic era. However, modern day cottagecore is not a look back in time but the creation of a fantasy world, separate from the gender norms, classism and racism that plagued colonial times.

On the topic of inclusivity, the cottagecore movement has also found extreme popularity among the wlw (women-loving-women) community and women of color. For those who feel rejected or unaccepted by society, running away to an obscure place can be liberating. It can also be a way to feel included in a history that rejected their existence.

There is no cooking or cleaning for a demanding family, rather, deriving happiness from simple chores performed out of free will. Women do not dress up to be praised by men— they do it because they simply like it. In this way, traditional gender roles and stereotypes are shunned by cottagecore.

Cottagecore mixes viewing farm life through rose-tinted lenses and daydreaming about an ideal life while staring at a phone screen. But at its core, it is about embracing femininity, celebrating the joys of domestic life, and living in the moment.

Many have found comfort in the ever-growing collection of snapshots of flower fields and cups of rose tea, and many more will.

The Tide Crossword: Halloween Movies ACROSS

1. Extended essay concern 6. Vampire’s accessory 10. Prop for a witch or magician 14. “The joke’s _____!”

15. What you have once you’ve collected them all 16. Length times width 17. Words surrounding “fired” for Color Me Mine rival 18. “Vivir Mi Vida” singer 19. Where film is stored 20. Tie ___ 21. Tim Burton’s animated film following an elopement gone wrong 24. Purple bubble tea flavor 25. Tiny and cute 26. 1931 film based on Mary Shelley’s novel 31. What a GPS provides 32. Make, as a salary 33. Eye, to a Wattpad author 36. Song whose music video sees Taylor Swift working an office job 37. Kanye’s mother, or the title of his latest album 39. Bargain a guilty defendant might strike 40. Unlawful taking of a car, abbr.

41. ____ Colada 42. Gallagher of Netflix’s Umbrella Academy 43. “Who you gonna call?” team 46. Imitating something before 49. Suffix with “consist” 50. Tim Burton comedy with Winona Ryder 53. Drake’s newest album, abbr.

56. Wasps’ fuzzier cousins 57. Made music with one’s mouth 58. 2008 Jordin Sparks hit 60. Woods of Legally Blonde 61. The Evil Queen’s Daughter, in Disney’s Descendants 62. Middle Eastern city known for luxury 63. Does, to Shakespeare 64. Junior or senior year headaches 65. What the calm precedes

DOWN

1. An owl, a cat, or a ____ 2. 2014 Nicki Minaj hit with Drake and Lil Wayne 3. Thomas W 4. Debt marker 5. Downsized cake 6. “Hey Ma” Rapper 7. Word before Rocky or Ferg 8. “Miles” and “hour” go-betweens 9. And so forth 10. Elizabeth who ran in 2020 11. Present tense of 23 Down 12. More important than wants 13. Richard J., former Mayor of Chicago 22. Rock from which minerals are extracted 23. Imperative form of 11 down 24. Dynamite compounds 26. Friend of 1 Down in popular children’s series 27. Disorderly retreat 28. What a medium might read 29. The upper chamber of parliament, in France 30. Smidgen 33. Word with “Ye” on many a renaissance fair sign 34. The back part of something 35. Prohibits 37. Bishop’s jurisdictions 38. Offs and ___ 39. Sadness for the suffering of others 41. Collins who wrote the Soundtrack to Tarzan 42. Climbs, as stairs 43. Readied, ______, went 44. Light shades of tan 45. Home of the Tar Heels 46. Receded, as the tide 47. Green who sang “Forget You” 48. Shoes you shouldn’t wear to outdoor homecoming 51. Island home to Jakarta 52. Seconds, to time or degrees, to temperature 53. ____ San Lucas 54. Word said twice before pants on fire 55. The edge of a hat 59. Not in

Note from the Editor: This is Naomi’s first crossword for The Tide! It is spooky season, so she chose to focus on Halloween-themed movies. Share your crossword-solving stories and solutions by emailing thetideeditors@gmail. com for a chance at a shoutout next issue. To do past crosswords, visit thermtide.com/crosswords/. Have fun solving! ~ Myka Fromm, Crossword Editor

The Tide

SPORTS

October 2021

15

P.E classes arrive back in full swing post-COVID

PHOTO BY DELANEY CRAWLEY

Students play a quick game of lacrosse, masks optional, in outdoor P.E class taught by Mr. Steve Puhl.

by Lucas Corea SPORTS WRITER

Over the course of the last year and a half, there is no question that our daily lives have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has changed the way the world operates, especially for students.

Unlike in the past, masks are required throughout the school day, lunch dismissals are staggered and certain water fountains have

been taped off to prevent possible spread of the virus. These new restrictions put in place around the county have certainly taken a toll on the daily operations of P.E. classes.

“The hardest thing as you well know is wearing a mask. We just aren’t getting the oxygen we need. This is physical education,” P.E and health teacher Coach John Fahrner said.

However, in spite of the COVID protocols in place, Coach Fahrner is making the most out of his P.E. classes.

“It hasn’t affected my mission statement of life, hasn’t affected my val-

ues, hasn’t affected my principles so life goes on,” Coach Fahrner said.

As for students, some definitely agree that having to work with the COVID-19 protocols during P.E. can be difficult. “...[W]hen we use masks it’s hard to breathe because we have to run and play lots of sports and exercise,” senior Jefferson Berman-Govine said. “Masks impede a lot of the things that we’d normally be able to do without our masks.”

Luckily for some, outdoor classes have allowed them to re-

main mask-free while enjoying some quality sports time. These sports include soccer, as well as net sports, and flag football.

“Soccer, they can take their masks off. Inside it’s affecting us,” Coach Fahrner said.

Tennis class, an outdoor net sport, is also mask-free but practices the suggested spacing protocols. “We are still distanced, but it’s a tennis class, so we’re automatically on other sides of the court,” freshman Zander Schieb said. “Outside, we don’t have to wear a mask because, well, it’s outside.”

recreate your energy every day.

So you must put recreation at the forefront of what you’re doing every day,” Coach Fahrner said.

“It hasn’t affected my mission statement of life, hasn’t affected my values, hasn’t affected my principles, so life goes on.”

- John Fahrner

However, P.E. class is not as relaxing as it used to be for some students. “Because of the mask, I can’t breathe really well. It starts to stress me out more because I can’t breathe right,” Berman Govine said.

Still, he acknowledges the importance of wearing masks.

“I feel safe because if there are people that sneeze or something else that could promote transmission, the masks really help protect everyone else.”

It is true that P.E. looks and feels a little different nowadays and may not be operating at its fullest potential. Though, the encouraging attitudes of coaches and flexible students at RM have helped P.E. classes continue as safe spaces for students to declutter their minds and get their bodies moving.

Though much has changed, P.E. class still offers some of the benefits from the pre-COVID era. It remains an outlet for students to move around, destress and relax a bit during the day.

P.E teachers still want students to stay motivated for physical education even amid the pandemic. “To play, to recreate your energy is recreation. You must

GRAPHIC BY JULIANNE CRUZ

Athletic specialist Jon Freda: more than meets the eye

by Ava Lunenfeld SPORTS WRITER

When passing through Richard Montomery’s halls, it is a common occurrence to hear the name “Freda” mentioned in student conversation. On the field, in the gym, and in the classroom, athletic specialist Jon Freda is well known and appreciated. He is often seen visiting RM sports practices and games, whether in attendance to support the team, announce or assist coaches and athletes.

However, being an athletic specialist is not as easy as it may appear from the outside. Lots of time, energy and commitment goes on behind the scenes of Freda’s job that may go unseen by students “I’ve been at Richard Montgomery for 15 years,” Freda said.

Of course, this is excluding the four years he spent here as a student, as a part of the graduating class of 2001. He briefly left RM to fulfill his undergraduate degree at Towson University, but his extensive Rocket Pride led him back to his high school home in 2009, this time as a staff member.

“I didn't know how many chances I would get to be the athletic director at my alma mater. I did graduate from here, so I jumped at the chance,” Freda said.

Being an athletic specialist comes with a lot of responsibilities that are not always obvious.

Whether it is spring, winter, fall

or summer, Freda is responsible for all athletic teams, including both Junior Varsity and Varsity.

A large portion of his time is dedicated to scheduling. For example, buses must be scheduled for some away games and practices, and Freda has to organize schedules in a way that works for all teams. He often has to start working on plans weeks in advance to ensure that if and when issues arise, there is time to take care of them.

“You want to make sure that teams are competitive, but that they’re having fun.”

- Jon Freda Another huge part of the athletic specialist position is having a relationship with student athletes. “Your [student athletes] success on the field in the classroom, it all falls under me,” Freda said.

Through his time coaching and teaching, he has built close bonds with many of the students at RM. Freda attends as many sports games as possible to interact with his students and show his support. Chances are, he will be a friendly face in the crowd or heard speaking in the announcers box at the next sporting event.

Freda’s position is hectic and is not one that just anyone can hold. “[My job is similar to being the] manager of a seasonal department store,” Freda said. “Going over finances every day, paying bills and working with your budget.”

The school athletic department is always moving, which means that Freda’s job never stops.

“There’s a lot going on, a lot of putting out fires,” he said. Luckily, he has had a number of years of experience on the subject. Starting out in 2009, Freda began working as the athletic specialist but stepped down to coach sports and teach in 2014. He returned to his original position three years ago.

Freda also prides himself in finding the balance between competition and fun in high school athletics. “You want to make sure that teams are competitive, but that they're having fun and kids are safe, and that it's an enjoyable experience for everybody,” he said. He works with students, teachers, coaches and parents to maintain a positive environment throughout the athletic department.

Though the athletic specialist position involves many moving parts and comes with a great deal of responsibility, all of the work Freda has a valuable purpose. “My main goal is for everyone to be proud of the RM rockets, student athletes, coaches and athletic department and the school and community,” he said.

PHOTO BY MCKINLEY HEAVEN

Athletic specialist Jon Freda poses outside of his office on a workday.

16

SPORTS

The Tide

October 2021

Seniors balance stress of school and sports

by Corrigan Peters SPORTS WRITER

Every year, student athletes are faced with the challenge of balancing their responsibilities as students while putting in their best effort as members of sports teams. While this struggle has always been present, the absence of an in-person school year last year has made the transition to a full schedule even more difficult. Senior student athletes know this the best, given that they often have the most academic responsibility.

“You’ve got to keep your grades up for the first semester because you’re looking to get into college,” senior soccer player Peter Borger said. “You slip up now, maybe you won’t get into that school you want to.”

Balancing a typical sports season with a senior’s academic commitments is challenging enough, but senior athletes typically have a bigger role in their sport. Seniors usually have a larger role as a leader and a role model on and off the field, court or race course.

“I’m one of the captains, so there’s leadership [that] comes with that and just being a se-

nior … There are younger kids, they’re sophomores and juniors. So you’re going to show up every day, work hard and get to show them what it means to represent the school as part of the team,” Borger said.

Despite the added responsi-

“You’ve got to have good time management.”

- Peter Borger bility, the return to normal fall sports has been much appreciated by athletes around RM. “It can be a little stressful at times, but it’s nice having a family to come to after school and it’s a great place to go to and it’s such a great community,” senior volleyball player Iris Postovit said.

“I love being able to train as a team again and have normal meets and practices,” senior cross country runner Nisha Athrey said.

Through the careful balance of sports and school, seniors have had four years to perfect their time

management and learn strategies to succeed amid all of their duties.

“Take your time to create great relationships with your teachers,” Postovit said. “That’s super helpful.”

“You’ve got to have good time management,” Borger said. “Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t … you’ve just got to do the best you can.”

Employing time management is very important in maintaining a healthy balanced schedule. The benefits of doing so are noticeable, especially after a year of virtual school, when there were not as many things to keep track of.

“It’s definitely harder than last year because I have less time, but I’ve learned how to manage my time over the years, so the return hasn’t been too bad,” Athrey said. The student athlete balance is an annual challenge, and even those that achieve balance admit that it is not easy.

“Balancing soccer and school, some nights you’re gonna be up really late, and [you’re] not gonna get all the sleep you need, but you’ve got to sacrifice for the grind,” Borger said. “The grind never stops.”

PHOTO BY DELANEY CRAWLEY

Senior and boys soccer captain Peter Borger warms up with his teammates before his senior night game against Springbrook High School.

Football games kick off after COVID school year

by Juliette Bolte SPORTS WRITER

After more than a year of empty stands, Friday night football at Richard Montgomery is once again hosting spectators. Given that the games are an important fall social event, their return has attracted crowds of students, all excited to socialize and show their Rocket pride. At the center of it all is the student section, where school traditions bring energy to the fans and players.

“The atmosphere is so fun,” junior Raya Arora said. “You can feel the spirit because everyone’s always dressed up and Hell’s Kitchen leads a bunch of fun cheers.”

The time spent apart during quarantine has clearly strengthened the sense of community felt at the games. “It’s very fun, enjoyable, spirited, loud and chaotic in a good way,” senior Selma Hamza said.

Last year, with COVID-19 circulating and the student body unvaccinated, such gatherings were clearly out of the question.

Going into the 2021 fall athletic season, many were skeptical of whether football could host fans in a way that balanced safety and enjoyment. Now, with the situation improving and students back for in-person learning, allowing spectators is an important step towards normalcy.

The Return to R.A.I.S.E plan, which has been in effect since May

of this year, outlines MCPS Athletics’ strategy for transitioning back to in-person sports. Masks and social distancing remain the suggestion, but guidelines are more

“It’s very fun, enjoyable, spirited, loud and chaotic in a good way.”

- Selma Hamza lenient for outdoor gatherings, where transmission is much less frequent, according to the CDC. Although not all spectators

follow these recommendations, most favor the COVID precautions since they have not appeared to detract from the enjoyment at the football games.

“I don’t mind masks at all,” Arora said. “I wear mine at the games and it doesn’t make my experience any better or worse.”

“I think it’s very reasonable to have kids and fans wear masks in the stands to the extent possible,” history teacher Todd Stillman said.

Also reassuring for many, Maryland is one of the states leading in vaccinations. As of Oct. 1, an estimated 83 percent of eligible people received at least one vaccine dose according to the Maryland COVID-19 Data Dashboard.

“I feel much more comfortable now that people are

vaccinated,” Hamza said.

The data and cautionary measures being taken have given most spectators enough peace of mind to focus on simply enjoying the football games. However, the spread of the virus remains a concern for some. Fortunately, those fans who may feel uncomfortable being in the more crowded student section always have the option to enjoy the game from the rest of the stands. These areas are more secluded and removed from the center of the action and cheering.

After these first football games, there is a sense of optimism regarding large social events at Richard Montgomery. “People have just been really excited and enthusiastic about coming back,” Mr. Stillman said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RM HELLS KITCHEN

RM students pack the stands decked out in black and gold to support the varsity football team. They faced off against Urbana on RM’s home turf earlier this season, on Sept. 3.